Sweet Rhyme, Smooth Rhythms
by susako
Summary: Mia/Diego. Diego is assigned as the mentor of the new rookie at Grossberg Law Offices. What starts as an interesting diversion, an opportunity for some play at work slowly becomes something more as Diego finds himself falling head over heels for Ms Mia Fey without even realizing it.
1. Chapter 1

In this story I'll trace the beginning of Mia and Diego's relationship, up to and beyond Mia's first case. We know that they ended up together, but how did it happen? Why did they fall for each other? When did the kitten become Kitten? It's going to be a long one! Thanks for taking the time to read and I hope you enjoy it. I'll try to update every 2-3 weeks.

Betaed by the wonderful dioscureantwins, who has taken a lot of time out of her own busy writing schedule to help me with mine. Her suggestions are always second to none.

Thanks to slumber, wasureneba and pinksonia for the help with the intricacies and fluencies of American English. All remaining mistakes are mine.

Thanks also to prospectkiss, who provided the original prompt which spawned a short giftfic and inspired this longer story.

* * *

_"Curiosity has its own reason for existing" - _Albert Einstein

* * *

Diego was an early riser on days when he was due to work. He enjoyed waking with the sun, taking time to savor his first coffee of the day over a newspaper or some other documents. There was never any real joy in rushing out of bed and straight out of the house – the morning for Diego was always time well-spent, carefully and deliberately. After a shower, he took a while to make sure his appearance was immaculate (hair that looked this windswept and wild could be work, sometimes) before leaving his apartment to make the short journey to work. He was usually one of the first to arrive. By the time the clock pointed to normal working hours and everyone else had come in to Grossberg Law Offices, Diego had been there for a while, working in comfortable silence, settled in perfectly. He liked that gentle calm while the rest of the world seemed to just be stirring awake. It meant having a headstart and being in the right frame of mind to get through the rest of the day.

It didn't mean that he didn't enjoy sleeping; he did – particularly if there was a lovely lady to keep him company. Long hours spent lounging around his apartment or in bed, again with a pretty lady to keep him company, were one of his favorite things but they were treats to be savored. When he worked, he _worked_. Vacations and unavoidable sick days were the times to sleep late, not days when he was scheduled to be in the office. His steadfastness and dedication were usually commented on positively. For Diego, it was just a simple matter of working hard and playing hard, but not doing the two at the same time. Not necessarily anyway.

This week though, he hoped to be able to manage work and play at the same time. Or at least, some kind of play.

The rookie Mia Fey had technically started last Friday, completing a final interview with Grossberg, unpacking the standard box of rookie paraphernalia that had been left on her desk and then spending half a day being given a tour of the offices before being dismissed. A nice way of easing her in to the routine.

Today was the start of Mia's first full week. Their first meeting had been very interesting to Diego, enough for him to want to speak to her a little more. Work, but still some play. It was always fun having a new kitten around.

* * *

Diego walked down the corridor towards his office, his feet making a satisfying echo, a ring of success and luxury. Grossberg Law Offices were all solid wooden floors and solid wooden doors, giving the place a grand feel and each lawyer was lucky enough to have their own dedicated space. He had interviewed at firms where people had shared desks or where rooms had been covered with stacks of papers and noticeboards, places with threadbare carpets or tired linoleum rather than the neatly painted, warm walls of Grossberg Law Offices. He had found himself drawn to the place upon seeing it for the first time, and he found the light touches of decadence pleasing every time he laid eyes on them.

As he approached his office, Diego frowned, seeing that the door opposite his was open. Had someone left it that way all weekend? As he drew closer, he heard the sound of typing.

Mia looked up when she saw him in the doorway, standing there almost dumbfounded. "Good morning, Mr Armando," she said, pausing her work for a moment. Her brown hair was neatly combed and loose across the shoulders of her dark suit jacket, her bangs swept to one side with care.

"Good morning, Ms Fey." Diego looked at Mia's wide-awake eyes, and then the papers spread across the desk next to her as well as the empty mug. "When did you get here?"

She cast an eye over at a clock on the wall – it had a mahogany frame, Roman numerals and golden ornate hands to match the office décor. "Nearly an hour ago now, I think."

"You must be up before the sun rises."

"Yes." There was a beat while she looked at him, still standing in her doorway. He hadn't even opened his own office door. "Are you always here this early, Mr Armando?"

"Yes," he replied, still slightly impressed that someone had actually beat him to the office. Everyone else usually rolled in at 9, and it was nearing 8:15 now. He could probably get used to having early morning company, though. Especially since the morning company was so easy on the eye. "It's nice to get things done while it's still quiet and nobody can disturb you."

"It is."

He chose not to take the hint, instead looking more closely at the papers on her desk. A few forms mandatory for new staff to complete, already filled in with neat handwriting in regulation black ink; a letter with Grossberg's signature on it, probably a formal offer of employment; some other introductory bits and pieces that she had no doubt been reading over the weekend since a few pages in the leaflets were dog-eared; some opened envelopes containing what looked like personal letters. Interesting. There were few people who kept up handwritten communication nowadays and these were definitely scrawled clumsily with ink pen. There were even what looked like food stains on the paper. He bookmarked the details of Mia's correspondence for future reference.

"Has your schedule been set for the week then, Ms Fey?"

She shook her head. "Mr Grossberg said that we would do that this morning. On Friday all I really did was sort through the box on the desk."

"Ah, the rookie box."

"The rookie box?"

"Yeah, that's what we call it. The secretary usually fills it up with stuff that the previous person left behind and one or two things Grossberg forces on everyone who comes here. All of those leaflets, for example."

"Oh." Mia turned to look at the books she had placed on the shelf behind her. "I take it the copy of _Lifestyles of the Lawful and Famous_ was from my predecessor, and not required reading by Mr Grossberg?"

Diego laughed at Mia's gentle humor. "You'll have to figure that one out on your own. Well anyway, I'll let you continue. Grossberg usually schedules time for rookies with everyone at the firm, so we might see each other later."

"Of course."

The minute he turned away to leave, he heard Mia resume her typing.

Heading into his office, Diego set his own bag down and pulled out the papers that he had brought. His desk was mostly clear – only a few pens, his computer, his favorite coffee cup and now that small stack of papers in their neat folder. At least he had something to do until Grossberg came in and set Mia's schedule. The first week of employment at Grossberg Law Offices was usually spent introducing the new person to how things worked around the office. The real work probably wouldn't start until at least her second week, but he found it vaguely impressive that Mia was here so early and seemed to be doing something already.

Diego looked forward to actually spending some time with her and seeing how she worked. Mia must be smart and skilled to have landed a job here, but not only was he keen to see her professional capabilities but her personality as well. It had been a while since Grossberg had liked someone enough to hire them, so Mia must be very interesting indeed.

* * *

Mia was shut away in Grossberg's office for most of the morning, enduring the tedious talk that all of them had gone through upon first arriving.

"Company values," Robert Hammond said with a wry smile, adding sugar to a coffee cup.

"Work ethic," Diego returned, pouring himself some coffee. He had had to fight to get a machine in his office, but it had been worth it to have his own supply of freshly-brewed heaven.

"Office hours."

"Core personnel."

"Building security procedures."

"The history of the company."

They were playing a game while they made their morning cups, trying to list what they could remember of Grossberg's dull introduction talk. Diego had managed to stay awake through it thanks to a terribly brewed cup that had been more caffeine than coffee.

"The future of the company." Hammond stirred, then lifted his cup to take a sip before wincing. "Wow, Diego. That packs quite a punch." He coughed a little and moved to add some more cream.

"Hmm?" The coffee tasted fine to Diego and the bag of beans next to the machine looked innocent enough. Maybe he should start labeling his blends more carefully; he couldn't even remember what he had done to this one. "You shouldn't add too much cream and sugar, Robert. You'll spoil it."

Hammond was shaking his head and adding enough cream to make Diego shake his head, too. "You say spoil, I say improve." As if to goad Diego further, he smiled with satisfaction after his next sip. "Ahh, that's better."

Diego rolled his eyes. Everyone around here was such an amateur when it came to what he sometimes called the black arts – the dark art of the perfect cup of coffee. But even though his tastebuds weren't exactly refined, Hammond wasn't a bad guy to be around. He had been Diego's mentor when he first started, and Diego had learned the ropes by following Hammond around for a month and helping him with his cases. The two had a light friendship and a gentle rivalry in the office. Most mornings, Hammond would pop in for a hot drink and a few minutes of chatter.

"What do you think of the rookie?" Hammond asked, apparently pleased with his repaired cup of coffee.

Diego was glad that Hammond had asked about her first. "From what I've seen of her? Well, if she can put up with Grossberg, then I'll think she'll be ok here."

"True. She seems smart as well, though."

"Have you met her, yet?"

"On Friday we had a brief introduction," Hammond shrugged. He was wearing a loose blue suit today, a somber color which contrasted with Diego's customary bright red shirt. It made him look a little like a detective rather than a lawyer. "Didn't you show her around the office?"

He wished he had, but Grossberg on one of his excited whims on Friday had whisked Mia away before Diego could even really talk to her. "Grossberg told me to do that, and then he barged in and did it himself."

Hammond laughed into his coffee, likely picturing Grossberg crashing into Diego's office in excitement, huffing and puffing. "Well, that's understandable. It has been a while since we've had such a pretty female rookie in the office."

"Has it?"

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed, Diego." Hammond shook his head, clearly disbelieving. "Those eyes? I refuse to believe that you didn't pay careful attention to those when you spoke to her."

"Not really." It was only a half-truth since there were other things about Mia that had caught his attention also, but hearing Hammond talk he could picture those warm and innocent eyes. Perhaps he had been paying more attention than he had thought.

"It must have been her neckline, then."

Diego laughed a little along with Hammond and was about to respond when there was a knock. The secretary poked her head around the door.

"Mr Hammond? Mr Grossberg would like you to come to his office, please."

"What for?"

"He'd like you to look after Ms Fey, today."

"Oh really?" Hammond smirked in Diego's direction. "Fine, I'll be right there." He finished his cup of coffee with a speed that made Diego wince and brushed his suit down with a sigh. "Well, duty calls." With a wave, he left the office.

For a moment, Diego frowned at the empty coffee cup that Hammond had left behind before he went to sit at his desk, his own coffee cup still in hand. He took a slow sip as he thought about what he had to do today. Maybe Hammond would bring Mia around later, and they would have another opportunity to talk.

* * *

Diego didn't see Mia that Monday, after all. According to Mia's schedule for that day, being looked after by Hammond meant touring the local area and being introduced to the various filing systems in the office. Only Hammond could have made something like that take so long, long enough that by the time they returned upstairs, Diego was on his way home.

He received a message once he was home though about some kind of networking lunch happening tomorrow. Unfortunately, he was due in court from the morning. Maybe he would make it back in time.

The next day, standing at the bench, Diego snuck a glance at his watch while listening to the current testimony. It looked like he wouldn't make it back for lunch after all. But he didn't have time to be annoyed or frustrated because he had just spotted a hole in the witness's argument.

"Objection!" He said it so loud and with such force that it was almost satisfying.

* * *

It was the end of the working day by the time he made it back to the office. Diego planned to drop off some materials before finally heading home. Today had been a dull day, but as he saw Mia exiting her office Diego's eye was drawn to her slender legs, highlighted by a modest yet form-fitting skirt. She cut a strikingly feminine figure in the corridor, her delicate hand reaching forward to pull the door closed. In the soft yellow light of the corridor, her brown hair looked almost golden, framing her gentle face.

It was a moment before he was able to speak. "You're leaving, Ms Fey?"

"Yes," she replied, her door closing with a significant thud. "I've finished for the day." Mia looked up at Diego and he found himself looking into her wide brown eyes as Hammond's words echoed in his head.

She was definitely pretty. "How was the lunch?"

"Good, thank you." Mia blinked a little and touched the corner of her mouth, as if remembering a stray crumb. Her lips were pink from her gloss. "It was a shame you couldn't be there. Where were you today?"

He was mildly pleased that she had noted his absence. "At the courthouse. Have you been, yet?"

She smiled humorlessly, her bottom lip thinning a little. "Not yet. Mr Hammond said he was going to take me, but then something else came up. I'm not sure if there are any plans to actually have a visit there this week."

Her disappointment was clear, and Diego thought back to the time when he had been a rookie, feeling a similar sense of frustration at being kept away from the courthouse for a while until he was deemed… 'ready'. It had annoyed his younger self because even at that point in his career, it wasn't as if he hadn't already visited the courthouse; he had been to the reading rooms and had sat in the gallery for a few trials which were open to the public. He could sympathize. "Well, if you're with me at some point in the next few days, we'll be sure to pay a visit."

This time, her smile was more genuine and he found himself smiling in response. "I'd like that, Mr Armando. To actually be walking around that place as if I belong there…" Realizing that she was about to say too much, she shook her head slightly, her bangs fluttering a little. "I'd appreciate it a lot. Well, see you tomorrow?"

"Sure." He nodded to her and she turned to leave with another slight smile. The image stayed in his head as he went inside his office.

_Mia Fey, huh?_ Young, keen and also... If only he had been around in the office today, then he would have had been able to speak to her properly. A quick glance at the clock however told him that he really should be leaving soon as well, but there was something he wanted to finish quickly before heading home.

* * *

Diego was both pleased and disappointed when he was the first to arrive in the office on Wednesday. The door opposite his was resolutely closed and quiet. By the time Mia arrived for work, most other people at the firm had too and the office was coming alive with the sounds of chatter and telephones ringing. Diego gave Mia a cool and calculated fifteen minutes to settle in before he strolled over to her doorway.

"Any indication on that schedule as to whether we get to spend time together this week, Ms Fey?"

Mia opened her mouth to answer when there was a knock on the door. The secretary, at that moment not a particularly welcome sight for Diego, stepped in and looked at Mia. "Ms Fey? Mr Grossberg is waiting for you." Message delivered, she nodded to both of them before making a swift exit. Mia had no choice but to shrug apologetically to Diego and follow.

He had been thwarted at least on this occasion. As he was about to go into his office, Diego spotted the schedule on Mia's desk. It had him penciled in for the whole day with her on Thursday.

* * *

On Thursday morning, before he even had the chance to say a word to Mia (she was in later again) Diego was called into Grossberg's office.

"Aha, there you are." Grossberg seemed pleased with himself as he struggled to his feet to greet Diego, who breezed into the office with ease. "I was hoping to talk to you this morning."

"Really?"

"Yes. I know you've been keen to have some contact with Ms Fey—"

At this, Diego suppressed his smirk.

"—and that time is going to come soon."

"Is it? Well, that's great. I'm sure that I can help ease her into a routine." _Finally_. Well, perhaps the delay would be worth it.

"Of course." Grossberg adjusted his glasses. "But unfortunately, that's not going to be today."

"Sir?"

"I've just had a call from Mr Toperman." Grossberg shifted unsteadily on his feet for a moment, looking a little uncomfortable. Diego prayed that he wasn't about to launch into a discussion about his ongoing health problems but was only partly relieved when Grossberg continued. "I was going to assign Ms Fey to you today to start looking through some recently closed cases and our follow-up procedure but unfortunately my boy, this takes priority."

Diego had been working here long enough to know that Grossberg only used 'my boy' when he was trying to smooth something over. "Priority?" At that moment, Diego despised Grossberg Law Offices' prestige for attracting a wealthy and annoying client such as Toperman, a businessman who Diego could barely tolerate at the best of times, never mind now that he had been denied the chance to play with a kitten.

"Yes, a priority." Why did Grossberg insist on wearing that orange suit when all it did was highlight the red in his cheeks? "I trust you'll take care of this, Diego?" Grossberg was reaching for a file before Diego had a chance to protest, not that it would have been worth it, anyway. "Arrange a meeting with him to discuss his business."

"And what is his business? Is his wife threatening him with divorce again?" He couldn't help but sneer a little as he took the file.

"Just do this, Diego, please. I trust your charm and tact in this situation rather than anyone else's. Besides, there'll be plenty of time for you to meet with Ms Fey in the afternoon." Grossberg waved a hand as he sat down, going back to his papers.

_No choice_. As Diego strode back to his office to grab his papers, he saw Mia standing in front of his office, waiting expectantly. _Ah, it breaks my heart to postpone our date, kitten but…_ "Sorry, Ms Fey." Diego swept inside and started to assemble his things. "Duty calls. You'll be with Robert again today."

"Oh." She hid her disappointment well, maybe a little too well for his liking but there would be plenty of time for that later. "Ok then."

"We'll talk later. Grossberg has me visiting a client."

"A client?" She couldn't hide her interest in that, however.

"You wouldn't want to touch this one, believe me." He swigged the dregs of his cup of coffee, noting that the lukewarm temperature did nothing positive for the flavor of the blend. "Smug and smarmy man with too much money and too little sense."

"I'm not sure you should talk about your clients that way, Mr Armando." She said it with a serious tone but he could tell she was more amused than anything else.

"I'll talk about whoever I like, however I like if they're taking me away from someone infinitely more interesting." He gave her a smile and left, resisting the urge to see whether that had at least made her cheek flush a little.

* * *

As he had expected, the briefing with Mr Toperman was like pulling teeth. In fact, Diego had felt like his teeth were going to fall out of his mouth with the amount of toothy smiling he had been forced to do. The insufferable man had lumbered Diego with the task of looking over the details of an acquisition and planning in the eventuality of his wife filing for divorce. Of course, Diego had agreed to provide the services of Grossberg Law Firms even if neither of these things were their specialty, and had already started to plot how he could possibly get Hammond to take some of the work. Deep down though, he knew that Toperman was attached to him and would accept service from no one else, so it looked like he was stuck.

Back at the office, he caught a brief glimpse of Mia. Her hips swayed slightly and her hair swished across her shoulders as she walked with Hammond back towards one of the meeting rooms. They were sitting in there reviewing material. Diego felt a twinge of displeasure at the thought of Hammond having much more fun than he was, but it was nothing a cup of scalding hot, unsweetened black coffee couldn't chase away.

* * *

On Friday, as Diego sat finishing off his lunch at his desk, Hammond popped in for a visit.

"She's really something, that Fey girl," was the first thing he said. "Very quick, very intelligent, very perceptive."

Diego chewed the last bite of a toasted sandwich very carefully and took a long, drawn-out sip of coffee, looking at Hammond over the rim of his mug. Hammond had been with Mia for most of the day again, looking over some more old cases and learning about the firm's follow-up and logging procedures. Apparently, anyway, who knows what Hammond had been telling her? Surely looking over closed cases shouldn't have taken a day and a half so far. "Do you still have much to go through?"

"Some. She's basically eating it up, Diego. Pretty and enthusiastic."

"Hmm. A good combination."

"I'll say." Hammond smiled to himself for a moment.

"You're too old for her," Diego said curtly, seeing how Hammond's eyes were glazing over.

He only laughed. "Such a shame, isn't it, Diego? Good thing I don't date people in the workplace, only a fool would do that. Still, nothing wrong with admiring the view." With a shrug, he left the office, sweeping back towards the meeting room where Mia was probably already waiting.

_Indeed_, Diego thought, vaguely annoyed at the intrusion, slightly more annoyed that Hammond and Mia had spent quite a lot of time together this week. It was already Friday, and his amount of contact with the rookie had been limited to snatches of conversation, and it wasn't all that satisfying.

* * *

Diego tried to be patient for the rest of Friday, but it was difficult when Mia wasn't even around for him to have a glimpse of, or exchange a single word with. Hammond's lunchtime visit had bothered him; he found himself pacing his office in the afternoon, his door open, looking at Mia's closed and unoccupied office opposite. Finally, as the clock rolled around to show that the day was nearly ending, he decided he had been patient enough, walking resolutely towards Grossberg's office.

"Grossberg's in, right?" Diego asked the secretary, who was sorting through some mail.

"Yes, Mr Armando, but he asked not to be disturbed. He's expecting a call from a client shortly."

"Is he, now?" The door to Grossberg's office was of a heavy, dark wood, meant to look intimidating with its solid panels, great weight and golden handle but because Diego knew the man who sat behind it, it looked more ostentatious than anything else. Like that ridiculous desk of his. "Well I suppose I should be quick then." He took the time to throw a quick wink at the secretary, who spluttered out her protests just as Diego opened the door and stepped inside. The door shut with a thud behind him.

Grossberg looked up from the documents he had been poring over. "Hmm? Can I help you, Diego?"

With his back against the door, Diego could almost feel the secretary's trembling self as she knocked timidly at first, then with a little more confidence. Not much more, but at least the second time she knocked you could just about hear it if you strained your ears.

"Come in," Grossberg called, smiling gently when the secretary poked her head around the door. "Ah yes my dear, I've noticed that Diego has come in. Not to worry, we'll only be a short while. Do let me know if that client of ours calls, will you?"

"Y-Yes Sir."

Diego gave her a dazzling smile as he shut the door and strode over to Grossberg's desk.

"Lovely girl, she is," Grossberg said, looking at his documents again. "Can be a bit shy though, but give her a little while and she'll come out of her shell." Very deliberately, he placed the sheaf of papers perfectly flat and ordered on his desk. "Now, what can I do for you?"

"Sir, it's about Mia Fey."

"Oh?" That had his attention, and Diego noted that as something to come back to later. ""What about her?"

"I want to know why you haven't let me see her."

"See her?" Grossberg laughed briefly, the laugh carefully disintegrating into a snuffle behind his mustache. "My dear boy, she works in the office opposite yours, you've seen her an awful lot this week I don't doubt."

Maybe he shouldn't have led with that sentence – now Grossberg would feel like he had the upper hand. He had to get it back somehow, and not sound so… "Sir, you haven't included me in her introductory schedule when you said you would. Instead, she's been wasting her time doing useless exercises in filing with Robert, and endless tours of the local area which to be honest isn't actually all that great apart from one or two highlights. She hasn't been to the courthouse, she hasn't looked at any current files and she hasn't even had the chance to speak to me."

"And why should that matter?" Grossberg looked as if he was struggling to hide a smile, and the image only made Diego a little angrier. "It's only her first week, Diego."

"She has a fine opportunity in working for this firm to make something of herself. You can't keep her hidden away doing stuff that isn't important! Maybe she shouldn't be handling a case on her own, but at the very least she should be following someone around that is."

"And that someone should be you?"

"Who else should it be?" Diego leaned forward, placing his hands either side of Grossberg's carefully stacked papers. "You know that there's nobody better at this firm than I am."

"I see."

"You haven't even included me in any of her meet and greets."

"You haven't _been_ here, Diego."

"That's because you sent me off on a stupid mercy mission to that idiot client of ours."

"You shouldn't speak of our clients that way, Diego."

"Why not? He is an idiot, you know it and so does everyone else."

Grossberg sighed and shook his head. "Doesn't mean you should say it out loud, Diego. A client is a client. Besides, I trusted that you would take care of him where nobody else could."

"You mean nobody else _would_," Diego grumbled, pushing himself away from the table in frustration.

"Diego, my boy," Grossberg said soothingly, waving a hand dismissively, "what exactly are you complaining about here? About not having a chance to see the newest member of the firm when she's only been here a week? About being asked to take a job which I gave to you in confidence? Or having work to do in general? You were in court earlier this week as well, if I recall correctly. So are you impatient, or are you unwilling to work? I must admit, neither seems like you." Despite the gentle tone, Diego knew he was being reprimanded slightly. For a moment, he regretted his own unprofessionalism; it would have been better to wait and maybe ask Grossberg casually instead of barging into his office.

_I should have kept my cool_. "None of the above, Sir. I just—" He took a moment to think about the next avenue of attack. "You say you trust me, that I'm one of your best workers." He smiled easily, almost cockily at that. "And then you don't let me near your shining rookie? It seems a bit… counterproductive."

Pleased at Diego's change in tone, and looking like he was happier being on more familiar ground, Grossberg nodded slowly. "I can see why it might have appeared that way; I know how you don't like being excluded particularly when we have new staff in the office." He didn't say it, but Diego knew he was thinking of the word _female_. "She's a very special young woman, is our Ms Fey, I've known that from the moment I laid eyes on her application. Your protests are noted, but you really haven't been around, Diego. Apart from being dispatched to deal with Toperman, you have had other work on. Robert has had a lighter caseload than you this week."

With some effort, Grossberg got to his feet. He was shorter than Diego, but unfazed by having to look up to meet his eyes, studying him carefully before taking a deliberate breath and continuing, as if the following information was being extracted slowly and painfully out of him. "Diego, my boy. I was going to tell you, but you didn't let me get a word in. I've… decided to assign you to Ms Fey as a mentor, at least for the first month that she's at this firm."

"…What?"

"Don't look so surprised, Diego! Isn't that what you were just complaining about?" Grossberg laughed and coughed at the same time, one large hand held in front of his mouth. "I simply don't have the time to take her under my wing, Robert is perhaps a little too, errm, _old_ for her, although please don't tell him I said that and well, there isn't anyone else here in such a position to be a mentor. You're a perfect match for her, wouldn't you agree? Wasn't that what you were just saying?"

Did… Grossberg just wink at him? No, he was blinking away as if there was some dust in his right eye. Realizing that there wasn't, and that it was most likely just a speck on his glasses, Grossberg removed them and immediately began cleaning them with a silk handkerchief produced out of nowhere. He looked strange without his glasses, his eyes almost too small for his face and two faint dents were on the bridge of his nose.

"Anyway," Grossberg continued, rubbing away at the lenses with the fabric as he slowly paced behind his desk, "I think it might be especially good for you to be a mentor. Give you a change of pace. Let you pass on all that knowledge you have in that bright head of yours. The younger generation is the one we have to watch out for, Diego. You'll remember me saying something very similar to you when you first started here and I was _your_ mentor for a brief while." His glasses finally cleaned, Grossberg held them up to the light to give them a quick inspection, squinting as he held them above his head.

"So then why didn't you give her to me on Monday?" Diego blurted out. "Why make me wait?"

Grossberg made him wait for a response as he put his glasses back on, only to peer at Diego over the tops of the frame. "Diego, my dear boy," he said finally, and Diego could swear that he was almost laughing, "I didn't make you wait! Toperman was being very demanding and besides, there was some compulsory material to work through that would have bored you to tears! I believe I was in fact doing you a favor."

"But—"

When Grossberg held up a hand, Diego knew the conversation was over. "Just be glad, Diego. I've already spoken to Ms Fey, and she'll check in with you on Monday morning. Now have a nice weekend."

Diego was about to say something else, to have the last word, but Grossberg sat back down, picked up his fountain pen and waved him away. He had no choice except to leave and head back to his own office.

After going inside and closing the door, Diego tried to calm down a little. Why was he so flustered? Wasn't this better than just being part of Mia's introduction? He was assigned as her _mentor_. That would give him ample opportunity to spend time with her during working hours, get to know her in a way that nobody else at Grossberg Law Offices would. Besides, he hadn't properly been a mentor before; he had only offered advice to people here and there. He hadn't actually had someone shadow him. Grossberg Law Offices had a good buddying system, but Diego had never really been on the other side of that until now. It was a good opportunity. Grossberg was right, of course.

Still, he knew that Grossberg had been delaying it by a week on purpose. That man was infuriating, sometimes.

A knock on his door distracted him for a moment. "Come in," he called.

Mia opened the door slightly, hovering between the corridor and Diego's office, unsure of whether to step in or stay out. "I'm leaving now, Mr Armando."

"Are you?" Diego managed a weak smile. "Well then, have a nice weekend."

"Thank you… and you." Her small hand was curled elegantly around the handle of a battered-looking leather satchel, the edges of the straps slightly furry and the buckles that held its large flap in place dull with age. Probably one that had seen her through law school – sentimentality was the strongest reason to be carrying something that looked like that in a place like this. She was swinging it idly as if it was a schoolbag and she was a shy teenager. "I… look forward to working with you next week, Mr Armando."

_Yes, Grossberg said he had told her._ This time, his smile wasn't entirely forced. "Me too, Ms Fey. I'll see you bright and early on Monday."

"Yes, Sir." She nodded to him, the corner of her mouth lifting gently in a solemn smile before she left, closing the door quietly behind her.

Diego had to take a deep breath, leaning against the wall for one moment. He laughed a little to himself as he felt all of the week's troubles simply melting away. He would have to make sure he rested up this weekend. Although the thought of having to wait a few more days grated a little, the thought of having her all to himself was soothing. Just then, unbidden, the image of her shy half-smile came into his mind, and he found himself wondering what it would be like to tease a full smile out of her pretty mouth. He would have to make that his goal for the next week, to see if the image he had in his head matched the reality.


	2. Chapter 2

It's the first day of the mentorship and Diego knows just how to impress Mia: with a visit to the courthouse.

Betaed by the wonderful dioscureantwins, who seems to have an infinite amount of patience for a fandom which isn't even hers XD; Her suggestions are always second to none. Thanks to slumber for the help with Americanizing this chapter. Any remaining mistakes are mine.

This fic is being cross-posted to AO3, should you want to read it there instead. Thanks for taking the time to read this story and I hope you enjoy it. Updates every 2-3 weeks.

* * *

_"Nothing beats a great smile" - _Karl Urban

* * *

Early Sunday morning found Diego lying in bed, staring at the ceiling.

Rolling to one side, he was faced with the quiet numbers of his bedside clock. _Too early for a Sunday._ While today should have been another day of well-earned rest, instead he found the thought of a long set of hours before him an annoyance. There was something he would much rather be doing. It felt wrong somehow to actually _want_ to be at work instead of at home on a weekend, but… Well, it wasn't work he wanted so much as _Mia_.

_I should at least get out of bed. Stop moping around like a teenager and actually do something productive_. In response to this thought, Diego kicked his covers off and swung one leg out of bed experimentally. _That's it. Now go get some coffee_.

Some time later, after a slow struggle, Diego was dressed and seated on his sofa, watching the news. Well, watching wasn't quite the right word. Staring blankly at the screen while nursing a cup of now tepid coffee was more accurate. His dark eyes watched the moving images on the screen but didn't register them; his hands felt the cup they were holding onto but didn't move to lift it to his lips.

The problem was that none of his weekend activities seemed as interesting or as fun as they usually did. Yesterday, breakfast at his favorite café had been only mediocre rather than a weekend treat. Newspapers and television shows had failed to hold his attention. He had even skipped Jazz Night at the little dive he had discovered last month in favor of staying home and flicking through his current paperwork. He could almost picture Hammond shaking his head with disapproval.

What Diego really wanted was to get started with Mia. The image of her eyes looking up at him, her curves in that suit and her long hair… These pictures had been dancing around his mind ever since he had left the office on Friday. They were hazy and half-remembered, the impressions of them floating with the details just out of reach. Had he imagined freckles on her nose? Were her eyes a dark brown or closer to a warm hazel shade?

Diego finally sipped at his cup of coffee rather absently, thinking that at least he had a month to mentor her. A month of contact, and with nobody else to interrupt his quest of discovery. He smiled wryly to himself, trying to recall the last time a woman had captured his imagination in such a way. Finding that he couldn't remember, he shook his head and took a sip of coffee. It probably would have tasted halfway decent when hot, cool it was almost foul. Giving up, he set the cup down.

It was cloudy outside and the world looked gray as if the sun had decided it couldn't be bothered to rise properly today. Hardly the kind of atmosphere that made one want to run around outside, instead more encouraging of spending the day indoors. Well, perhaps he would do so. Maybe he would also try and get some work done, that would force him to concentrate. Deciding to indulge himself for a moment and combine work with play, Diego allowed his mind to drift. He started to think about what he wanted to introduce Mia to during their month together. His train of thought travelled to ways to find out more about her, avenues of conversation to pursue, places to show her, what cases they would have to work on together and how he could both impress and teach her something useful at the same time.

After a while spent lounging on the sofa, daydreaming and fading in and out of the news on the television, Diego moved to another area. His front room was part lounge space with sofa and television, part kitchen area with worktops enclosing the space, part dining room with a large circular table in one corner, hovering on the border between kitchen and living room. Diego used this table frequently as it was large enough for him to eat at, entertain at and work at. He spread out his case papers and a calendar, and started to carefully work out details. On a practical note, he would have to spend time introducing Mia to his work if she was going to accompany him, making sure that she was up to speed before they set foot in a courtroom. He would also have to make sure she had a nice balance between desk learning and practical experience. Oh, and of course he would be sure to pass on all of the essential information he wished he had had as a rookie.

Diego worked for a while and then ate a simple lunch of bread, soup and more coffee. As he moved to working on cases, he continued to toy with thoughts of Mia. When he finally stopped, it was dark outside, time for dinner and he felt a lot better, knowing what day it was tomorrow. That night, Diego went to bed early to make sure he was well rested.

* * *

Thinking that Mia would want to arrive early on Monday to make a good impression, Diego made sure that he had arrived and settled in even before that. As he heard the sound of high heels walking up the hallway, Diego quickly checked that his desk was in order, that there was a pen in his hand, and that he was carefully looking at his work. When he raised his eyes at her knock, he was greeted by the lovely sight of Mia Fey in the doorway. Her cheeks were a little flushed from outside and she carried the scent of the city's morning air about her. It hung around her slightly windswept hair, her suit and her thin fingers, wrapped around the cracked handle of her old satchel. Even so, she looked fresh-faced and ready, rare at this hour.

"Good morning, Ms Fey."

"Good morning, Mr Armando," Mia replied, inclining her head slightly. She was standing demurely with the satchel in front of her, apparently waiting for instruction.

Somehow, it didn't suit her to stand there in such a restrained way. "Relax, Ms Fey. I'm not going to bite you."

She unwound by only a fraction. "I didn't think you were going to, Mr Armando. I'm just keen to get started."

_So am I_. "It's still early. Can I offer you a coffee?"

Mia shook her head, her bangs fluttering. "No thank you."

_Oh, that's right. In the meeting with Grossberg, she said she wasn't a coffee drinker_. "How about a green tea?"

"I can get one myself, thank you."

"Good," Diego said with a casual smile, reaching for his own coffee cup. "Because I don't actually have green tea in here. But if we're going to be working together, then maybe I should make a point of getting some." As he took a slow, deliberate sip of his coffee, he kept his eyes fixed on her.

She was unfazed. "If it's too early for us to get started then, Sir, I have a few things to tidy up from last week."

"Certainly." _Fascinating woman_. His coffee was a little cool now, but it would do. _Absolutely fascinating_.

An hour or so later, Diego knocked on Mia's door. She was sitting at her desk, drinking a cup of green tea and reading something but she looked up somewhat eagerly when he entered. It was clear she had been waiting for him to come by, an idea which was pleasing to him. "Come on, Ms Fey," Diego said to her with an easy smile. "Get your things. We're going out."

"Sir?"

"To the courthouse."

She stood up at once. It seemed that Diego had definitely hit the right starting note.

* * *

Diego was certain that she had been to the courthouse before. All rookies had been given the standard tour at some point during law school, or spent hours downstairs in the reading rooms and probably watched one or two trials. Mia must be no different. Diego could imagine her in the half-light of a shaded reading lamp, her head bowed and her hair trailing across the pages of a law journal; he could imagine her in the peanut gallery, watching a trial along with the crowd, her face serious and her eyes absorbing every detail in front of her. Still, given her apparent excitement, it seemed as if this was her first trip to the courthouse. She was practically bouncing up the stairs as Diego walked leisurely behind her, trying not to pay too much attention to her swinging hair and her... skirt.

"It's nothing special," he said to her once he had caught up to where she was standing in the courthouse's main entranceway. "Not really. You'll probably be sick of it by the time your career calls for you to be here every other day, dealing with stressed clients and forgetful witnesses."

Around them, the courthouse was a humming hub of activity with officers in uniform, lawyers in suits, spectators heading towards whichever trial looked the most interesting and the occasional lost-looking person who seemed a little overwhelmed. They were all milling about the entrance hall, winding their way around where Mia stood. On a wall straight ahead was the courthouse directory, a large board filled with information and floor numbers, crowned with a plaque proclaiming the founding date of the courthouse with a heartfelt motto about justice and an engraving of a set of scales. A large staircase stood to one side, leading to the first floor but every now and then the _ping_ of an elevator could be heard from the set of elevators to the right. Mia was looking around at everything, drinking in the sight of corridors leading to more rooms, other lawyers heading towards courtrooms and lobbies, all of the waypoints on the directory board, even the tiled flooring under her feet which formed a uniform and formal circular pattern. As courthouses went, Diego was sure that there were more fascinating ones and grander ones with a sense of ceremony, but the way that Mia's eyes were following all of the details and taking in her surroundings made him look around to try and see it all again, see exactly what it was about this place that had made him glad to choose this profession.

"I think it will be a while before I get sick of this," Mia was saying softly, watching a man and woman in suits head towards the staircase, chattering away about _precedence_ and _technicalities_ and _submitting evidence into the court record_.

"For your sake, I hope you don't." Diego was glad that Mia chose to walk up to the directory to study it, before she heard the lawyers switch to talking about _that awful suit the defense was wearing_.

The courthouse had several floors. Reading and archive rooms were downstairs and were usually filled with students looking up old records or current journals. The ground floor usually housed a friendly exhibit of some kind, often old documents of interest or curious but useless objects tied to the courthouse's history. Upstairs, one could visit the cafeteria and rub shoulders with tired spectators, keen visitors or broke defense lawyers; visit the executive common room where the VIPs usually took refreshments (if you could get past the bailiffs on the door) or even access the courtrooms themselves, the centerpieces of the building with their seats for audiences, desks for the defense and prosecution, witness stands and most impressively of all, the large, raised platform, seat and desk where the judge was able to oversee all proceedings and bang a heavy gavel with a sound that would ring mercilessly around the room. Neighboring the courtrooms were lobbies where those participating in the trials would wait to be called, half-empty rooms with floors worn from pacing. The higher levels of the courthouse saw offices that were restricted from public access. Diego had heard that there was a pretty roof garden up there for those who had been invited, but he wasn't sure whether that had just been a prosecutor yanking his chain.

"Where are we going first?" Mia had finished looking over the directory and had switched her attention back to the people in the entrance hall, particularly the stiff-backed bailiffs who were watching the crowds coming and going. "Will we get to stop by a trial later?"

"Yeah, later." Diego checked his watch. "We'll drop by something a little low-profile so we can get a good view. But first let's go upstairs to the third floor."

"What's on the third floor?" She craned her neck as she followed Diego, trying to scan the directory quickly.

"An empty courtroom and lobbies," Diego answered, saving her the trouble. "There's nothing in there for at least an hour according to the schedule."

"Are we allowed to go in? Just like that?"

Diego only smiled at her with a gentle shrug. "When there's nothing in session, we are. Mostly."

* * *

They reached the third floor, stepping into another entrance hall, on a smaller scale than the one downstairs. It was quieter up here with only one bailiff standing in front of the door to the courtroom, looking curiously back at them. Diego nodded to him, pointing to the shiny, round, golden attorney's badge he wore on his lapel. "Just taking a tour, you don't mind do you?"

The man shook his head and Diego gestured for Mia to step forward.

She went immediately to the hall's centerpiece, a small model of the courthouse inside a glass cabinet. Some of the other floors had display cabinets in their center, but this one was particularly interesting because of the amount of detail.

"I was here once before, but I never really got to look at this model all that closely." Mia had bent her head slightly to peer at the miniature before her, examining it with keen eyes.

Diego stood next to her, hands casually in his pockets, admiring her cute little nose as it pressed up against the glass, near a tiny tree. "No? It's quite well done. If you look carefully through the windows, you can see the shine on the judge's bald head."

She believed him for half a second as only a rookie could before she raised an eyebrow and went back to looking at the model.

"From this perspective, it doesn't seem so imposing, does it?" Diego continued, watching her shift her attention to the small plaque which proudly explained who had taken the time to construct such a thing and why. He watched her eyes move as she read the text, then watched her change focus again to look at the pictures on the walls and the doors leading to other places. It was rather enjoyable to observe her absorbing information; he could see her turning it over in her mind, considering everything carefully.

"It can get really busy up here if there's a celebrity on trial." Diego felt as if he had to explain, seeing Mia turn her attention to the solitary bailiff. "There are a few petty trials happening today. How long has it been since you were in the peanut gallery?"

"A while now." Mia shook her head as if displeased. "I did want to come down here more often, but sometimes just _watching_ the trials felt a little…" Lost for the right word, she looked sheepishly at him.

Diego understood what she meant. When he had been studying, looking down at the lawyers doing battle had sparked jealousy within him, and a desire to prove himself, only furthered by the knowledge that he wouldn't get the chance to stand on the defense side of the room for at least a little while longer. Somehow, it had felt unfair – to be so willing, and yet to be so denied. The crowd's mutterings around him had only added fuel to the fire by interfering with his ability to pay attention to the cross-examination techniques – because of that, he had spent more time reviewing footage and transcripts than journeying to the courthouse. "Come on." He started to walk towards the defendant lobbies.

Outside of the lobbies were a set of vending machines, for both those working there and visiting.

"Courthouse specials?" Mia frowned as she looked at the proud advertisement on one of the machines. "What exactly does a Swiss roll have to do with the courthouse?"

"Don't knock it until you've tried it. They're actually pretty tasty." They were messy to eat but that didn't stop them being popular with visiting children or tired policemen.

"I'll pass on this occasion."

"Don't you like sweets?"

"I do, just… Not Swiss rolls that come out of vending machines."

"A woman with high standards, then," Diego grinned. "I'll have to introduce you to my favorite café. They make the loveliest little cakes there."

"As long as their strawberry desserts are up to scratch."

"Strawberry desserts?"

"They go surprisingly well with green tea. I'll have to introduce you some time."

_It's a date_. Diego nodded. "I'll hold you to that."

Moving away from the vending machine, he opened a nearby set of doors. The defendant lobby was a plain room with a small sofa to one side, a generic painting on the wall, a sad-looking pot plant in one corner and a television in another. The sofa had the invisible weight of many overburdened defendants on it and it sagged slightly, the cushions flat and the fabric worn. The drooping plant next to it only served to emphasize the sofa's threadbare look and feel. The television in the room was there to help people settle down, although Diego knew that sometimes it came in handy to keep one eye on the local news while waiting for a trial to start.

The windows were closed, and Diego caught his and Mia's reflection as they stepped into the room. He was taller than her by a head (not including the way his hair stood up in its charismatic way) and his bright red dress shirt stood out against her dark suit. He noted their other stark contrasts as well: he was tall and broad, she was shorter and curved; his own dark, unruly hair was the opposite of her straighter and neater strands; Mia's skin was porcelain against his own terracotta hue. The combination was strangely pleasant, and Diego paused briefly to look, turning his focus onto Mia. He only realized that he had fallen silent when he saw her reflection look enquiringly at him.

"It's not much in here," Diego said of the surroundings dismissively, turning away from the window. "But this is where you usually meet your clients before the trial starts, or where you meet them during recesses. It's supposed to be a plain waiting room."

"I see."

Diego led her out again and back down the corridor. "Ready to see the courtroom itself?"

At this, Mia's eyes lit up – exactly the reaction he had been hoping for. "Is the bailiff just going to let us in there?" She was trying to keep the hint of excitement out of her voice, but it wasn't really working.

"We can only ask." As they drew closer, Diego realized that he recognized the bailiff after all. He should press his advantage.

The bailiff looked at Diego suspiciously as he approached. "Yes, Sir?"

"My name's Mr Armando, remember?" Aware that Mia was watching, Diego gave his most confident smile to the bailiff. "I helped you guys out the other week when that witness tried to make a run for it."

"Oh, yes." After a moment the bailiff smiled back uncertainly. "I remember… That was a well-aimed coffee cup, Sir. What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you'd let us into the courtroom for a brief moment."

"Into the courtroom? What for?"

"I just want to show Ms Fey here where she'll be working in the future. She's a defense lawyer too, you know."

"You don't say?" The bailiff's eyes shifted quickly to Mia, who was doing her best to stand there politely and expectantly. "But… I can't just let you in here."

"It's only going to be for a short while."

"I… might get in trouble."

"You won't, I promise you. Nobody's going to come up here for a little while longer anyway."

"I…"

"Come, friend." Diego stood with his palms open wide. "I helped you last week; you can return the favor today. And you're not going to let me down in front of my lovely lady colleague here, are you?" When he saw the bailiff shuffle awkwardly, he knew he had nearly won. "Just five minutes. Session doesn't resume for at least another forty-five." Mia was playing her part by looking up at the guard a little pleadingly. Who could resist those eyes?

The bailiff couldn't, apparently. "Ok, ok, fine. But only five minutes."

Diego clapped the bailiff thankfully on the shoulder and ushered Mia into the courtroom.

* * *

It was always a little intimidating to step onto the floor for the first time. To begin with, there was the thought of all the people watching. There were two raised seating areas for spectators, formidable wooden walls behind the two attorney desks. They were usually filled with people who would watch keenly and closely, would chatter and call out, laugh and protest at points of drama in the courtroom until the judge banged his gavel. Being able to stand that many people both looking down on you and across at you from behind the prosecution side was always the first test, and one that rookies often struggled with.

The second test was holding your ground against your opponent. The prosecution side of the room was identical to the defense side, but when a prosecutor was standing there with sharp eyes and a smug smile, things changed. Diego remembered briefly the various prosecutors he had faced, each one bringing a different atmosphere to the room. The encounters hadn't always been pleasant, but they had been interesting at least. He wondered who Mia would have to face first.

The third test was dealing with the judge, the one with the most power and in the loftiest seat to demonstrate it. Taking a penalty from the judge was always trying the first time since it was a bruise to the ego more than anything, but seeing the judge rule your client 'not guilty' was always immensely satisfying.

Diego was reminded of another test as Mia walked over to the witness stand. Talking to the witnesses themselves and cross-examining them was always a unique challenge with every person that stepped onto the stand. _I'm sure she can handle it, though. She's made it this far._

Mia was tracing a hand over the top of the curved wooden stand where it stood in the center of the floor. Diego watched as she did so, seeing her imagine how it must feel to be questioned here, flanked by lawyers and faced by a judge. He saw the thoughts cross her face, leaving traces across her furrowed brow. "No wonder people get so flustered when they stand here," she said out loud.

"Yes, it's hard when you're being interrogated by a fierce kitten on this side of the room." Diego strolled to the defense desk, slipping past the corded barrier and taking his place behind it.

"Kitten?"

"Would you rather I called you Rookie?"

"No, but 'kitten'?"

_Oops_. Diego shrugged nonchalantly. "All I'm saying is that you look sweet, but I'm betting you have claws." When she smiled faintly in response, Diego smiled back and gestured her over, pleased to have made a recovery from his slip of the tongue. "Come here, Ms Fey. You shouldn't be on the stand."

Mia approached the desk slowly to stand behind it, once again running a hand across the surface, as if testing the waters.

"No, not on that side, that's for co-counsel," Diego told her gently. He took her by the arm and moved her over. "Here. This is your place."

For a long while, she was quiet, surveying the desk, the opposing side, the spectator seat and finally the grand and imposing platform that housed the judge's bench. "When you're watching a trial, it's like everyone's in a little box. It's different when you're standing on the floor – everything seems so big."

"If you're down here and it feels too big, you need to shout loud and be strong enough to fill it."

Mia considered his words carefully, still looking at her surroundings, no doubt trying to picture how everything should be and trying to insert herself into that picture. "It just feels so… strange," she said finally. "To actually be here."

"But you are." Diego clapped a hand onto the desk with a solid bang that made Mia jump. He decided to try the word 'kitten' again, since it fitted with Mia's general curiosity and nervousness. "You can't act like a shy kitten now; save the nerves for an actual trial." Mia didn't flinch the second time. "If we're here, why not have a bit of fun?"

"Fun?" She looked for a brief moment as if the concept was foreign to her.

_We'll have to fix that_. "Yes." Suddenly, Diego threw one arm out, pointing firmly at the prosecution side. "Objection!" he called out loudly, with conviction. The word rang around the courtroom as Diego lowered his arm, satisfied.

"I'm not sure I'll be the pointing type," Mia smiled.

"Why not experiment?"

Taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, Mia prepared herself. Just as suddenly as Diego had, she threw her arm and index finger out towards the prosecution. "Objection!"

"Not loud enough," was Diego's comment.

Mia frowned and tried again, throwing her arm out once again. "Objection!" The echo of her voice danced around the courtroom like the notes of a piccolo. "There, was that louder?"

"Still not loud enough, and not forceful enough." Diego folded his arms and grinned at her.

He saw her tighten her jaw before the next attempt, as if determined that the third time was going to be the last. Out of nowhere, she slammed both hands down on the desk with a loud crash, leaning forward as if her stare could burn the prosecution to ashes. "Objection!" This time, her shout was stronger, filling the empty courtroom, a resounding blast of confident sound. As silence settled and she relaxed, Mia smiled, a full smile this time and the effect was electric.

Her lips turned upwards, her mouth opened slightly and her cheeks pinked and lifted in an expression of sheer happiness. Her smile lit up her entire face, spreading to her shining eyes. Her face had been lovely before, but now it was stunning, filled with warmth that couldn't be contained, radiating with a glow of joy. Her expression was bright, almost blindingly beautiful, full of satisfaction, pleasure and amusement and he could almost feel his very heart being lifted to match the corners of her mouth. His own mouth was smiling in response, as if Mia's was directly calling to his and he had no choice but to obey.

They were still grinning at each other when the bailiff opened the door. "Five minutes is up! You better get out of here!"

Diego had difficulty pulling his eyes away from Mia, but he did to nod his acknowledgement of the bailiff. When he turned back, her expression was fairly neutral once more, the ghost of her smile casting a faint blush across her cheeks. It was like a bright spotlight being switched off suddenly, leaving a faint impression on Diego's eyes. As they left the courtroom, Diego smiled at Mia again, hoping to invoke the same unbound expression he had just seen, but he only saw a timid upturn of her lip.

"Thank you, Mr Armando," she said as they headed towards the next part of their tour. "That was fun."

"Good," he said. "I'm glad it made you smile." He said it, and he meant it.

* * *

They slipped into a trial that was in progress, finding two seats at the back of the viewing gallery. As soon as they sat down, Mia leaned forward, casting a sharp eye over the players on the stage below.

On the defense side was a timid-looking, middle-aged gentleman, his gray suit only emphasizing the ghostly pallor of his face. His thinning hair was slicked back, with the intention of looking sleek and smart but instead it looked as if his hairline was retreating from the rest of his face. Wide and watery blue eyes blinked uncertainly as he spoke.

"Mr Timothy Shyling, of Markson and Markson," Diego murmured by way of explanation. "He usually likes to stay in the office and settle private disputes, which explains why he never looks quite comfortable in the courtroom."

Mia looked doubtfully at Mr Shyling, who was dabbing his forehead with a red handkerchief.

"The handkerchief was a Christmas present from his wife," Diego continued.

"Why does that matter?" Mia asked.

"Ms Fey, it's always important to note the details of your competition."

The prosecutor on the other side of the room was an older man in an eye-catching, grass-green suit with a tie the color of a ripe tomato. He was standing with his arms folded as the defense made a point. His eyes were hidden by an oversized pair of glasses, but the slight smirk around his mouth indicated the rest of his expression. On top of his head was a carefully crafted pompadour of dark hair that bounced slightly as he shook his head.

"Hee hee hee," the prosecutor chuckled once Mr Shyling had finished speaking. "I think you're forgetting something, Mr Shyling."

"A-and what's that?"

"That whether your client has a motive or not, he was spotted fleeing the scene of the crime by at least fifty witnesses! He ran through the main lobby and crashed into the tour group in the middle of it! They all remember him very, very distinctly." The smirk on his face sharpened.

"I was getting to that. First I was trying to establish that my client had no reason to—"

The prosecutor laughed again, a long, drawn-out snicker which made the defense flinch. "Your Honor, I can call those fifty witnesses if you'd like."

"That won't be necessary, Mr Payne." The judge, an old man with a magnificent gray beard, blinked with surprise, considering the impact of having so many people crammed into a lobby. "I won't make my lunch date if you do."

"Of course not, Your Honor." Mr Payne patted his pompadour in an expression of triumphant satisfaction.

"Anyway!" Mr Shyling said suddenly, trying to turn the conversation. "As I was saying—"

"That's Winston Payne," Diego told Mia, referring to the prosecutor who was still shaking his head at Mr Shyling's words. "He likes to call himself the 'Rookie Killer'. Whether he is one or not, I suppose you'll find out. He could be your first opponent."

"He… doesn't seem like much," Mia said, raising an eyebrow at Mr Payne, who was laughing again. His laugh was a little wheezy, and of a high pitch.

"Maybe not, but you have to admit that now the judge and everyone else in this room doesn't care about the lack of motive, but more about the masses of witnesses."

"But that was a low trick, he just—"

Mia didn't finish her sentence as Mr Payne filled the room with a screech. "Objection!" At the sound, which very much resembled a strangled cat, Mia started to giggle, clapping a hand over her mouth to suppress the sound.

"Quiet up there!" The judge frowned in Mia's direction.

She bowed her head as the trial resumed, Mr Payne neatening his tie and his hair in an effort to regain his lost momentum. His pompadour bounced as he did so and Diego saw Mia's shoulders shaking at the effort of holding in her laughter.

"Let's go, Ms Fey," Diego said in her ear quietly, relishing the legitimate reason to lean in close, but refraining from draping one arm around her shoulders. "If that made you laugh, then we had better leave before you see the rest of Payne's prosecution techniques."

"I'm sorry," Mia said sheepishly once they had left the courtroom. "It's just that his hair was bobbing up and down and when he said 'objection' it sounded—"

"I know," Diego interrupted with an easy smile. "Everyone knows, but Payne doesn't. Come on, let's go elsewhere."

* * *

"And this is the cafeteria." Diego said it as if he was announcing something special, even though he wasn't. The cafeteria was a spartan place, all easy-clean plastic chairs and tables dotted around a large room with pale walls and even paler linoleum on the floor. To one side was the service area with a small array of tired-looking sandwiches and cakes, some bottled drinks and behind the counter, a staff member waiting by a cash register and a coffee machine. At least this place served coffee, although you wouldn't know it to look at the staff member currently yawning while waiting for customers. The cafeteria's saving grace was that it had windows lining one side which provided a fairly interesting view of the street below. You could see pedestrians milling around, the tops of cars trudging through city traffic and the occasional sprinting defense lawyer, late to represent a client.

"Are we stopping here?" Mia stood out amongst all the shades of white and beige.

"Sure, why not? We've been here for a while, it's a good enough time as any to take a break." He led her over to the service counter, where she feigned polite interest in what was on offer. "Can I get you anything?"

"Do they do coffee here?"

"Yes, but I wouldn't want you to have your first cup with me at this place. Your first cup with me has to be special."

"What do you mean?" She eyed him with a little bit of suspicion, and Diego immediately noted that perhaps he had been a little too forward. _But she didn't object to the word 'kitten'…_

"What I mean, Ms Fey, is that I consider myself a bit of a coffee aficionado. If you're not a regular drinker, then I must insist that the first time you have coffee in my company that it's a worthy cup, rather than the awful stuff you find here." Was that a good enough save?

Apparently so because she nodded. "Fine. I'll just have a green tea, then."

Shortly after, they found a window seat. Diego admired how Mia managed to slide into her chair with a certain grace, not an easy feat given how awkwardly shaped the chair was. She sat with her back straight and one smooth leg crossed over the other demurely, reaching forward to toy with the teabag floating in the hot water. The steam rose in a string of delicate swirls to frame her face, wisps dancing around her cheeks. _Beautiful._ Thinking that perhaps it was indecent to stare, Diego reached for his cup of coffee and found it as tasteless as he had expected.

"Is the green tea to your liking, Ms Fey?" Diego asked after Mia had taken a sip.

She smiled wryly as she set the cup down again. "Green tea from teabags never tastes right to me. I suppose you could call me a green tea aficionado."

"You'll have to educate me."

"I'll educate you in the ways of green tea if you educate me in the ways of coffee."

"It's a deal."

They were quiet for a while, both looking out of the window. Or rather, Mia was genuinely looking out of the window, Diego was facing that direction just so he wouldn't be staring at Mia too much.

"So have you enjoyed this morning so far?" Diego asked, turning back to take another sip of bland coffee. Goodness, how someone could create such a flat and dull liquid and label it coffee was beyond him.

Mia looked as if she was thinking the same thing about her green tea as she drank some more. "Yes, it's been great. Thanks for taking me here, Mr Armando."

_I wish you'd call me Diego, but we're not there yet, Ms Fey._ "No problem. You seemed eager last week, it felt a little cruel to keep you in the office for a little longer after everything you've had to endure."

"Oh, it wasn't so bad." She shrugged a little, almost shyly. "I did get to learn a lot about filing systems and closed cases from Mr Hammond."

He wasn't sure if she was sincere, but he smiled anyway. "Well, at least you learned something. But hopefully with me you'll learn more."

"I hope so, too."

"If you're shadowing me, then that means we'll be working my current cases."

"What are your current cases?" She sat up a little straighter at the mention of cases.

"Oh a little of this, a little of that." Diego explained briefly the types of cases he had on his plate at the moment. Some of them weren't strictly cases; sometimes Grossberg Law Offices took the time to advise clients on contracts and other legal paraphernalia. As he talked, even though what he was saying was fairly routine, he noticed Mia paying careful attention and nodding along. She interrupted with questions every now and then, keen to know what she would be doing and when Diego answered that he would be expecting her to do some of the work herself rather than just watching him do it, he was rewarded with a smile. It was a gentle and satisfied one this time that gave Diego the impression that he was doing something right.

"Good, I like working." Mia had some more tea and to her credit, this time she didn't wince.

"Enough about work for a moment, we're supposed to be taking a break." Diego leaned back to survey Mia for a moment. "So tell me, where do you live? You must live fairly close if you were able to make it into the office so early."

Mia shook her head. "No, I live at least an hour away. I'm just used to waking up early, I always have."

"Have you always lived in the city?"

She shook her head again, bangs fluttering. "No, before law school I lived in a small town in the middle of nowhere. But I like living here; it was my choice to move after all. Not a lot of opportunities to be a defense lawyer away from the city."

"What made you want to be a defense lawyer anyway?" Diego studied her carefully. "It can be a thankless position. A lot of people want to be prosecutors rather than the underdog defense lawyer."

"What's with all the questions? This isn't another job interview, is it?" She tried to sound light, but he could tell that she was a little nervous. Perhaps he had touched a sore subject?

"I just want to get to know you better. We'll need to know each other if we're going to be working together so closely."

"Oh, I see. Well… As long as you share things with me too. If I educate you, then you educate me, right?"

"That sounds fair. It's another deal, then."

She nodded in agreement. "So… will you answer one of my questions?"

Diego noted how she had dodged his, but let it go. "Of course."

"Have you been at Grossberg Law Offices for long?"

"Several years, now." Diego remembered walking into the office for his own interview, trying to supress a laugh at being faced with Grossberg himself, an awkward and large man with a comical mustache and the tiniest pair of glasses he had ever seen. He hadn't quite believed that such a man was the leader of such a reputable firm, but as the conversation had progressed and Grossberg had gently but firmly taught him a few lessons in the short time the interview lasted, Diego had finally felt that there wasn't really anywhere else that he wanted to be. "Grossberg was my mentor for a while."

"Was he?"

"Yeah. Don't let his chatter about his health problems fool you, he knows what he's doing. Most of the time, anyway." He told Mia how Grossberg had been as a mentor: bumbling with a tendency to ramble but clever and thorough. Experience from a veteran lawyer like Grossberg was always valuable. "Then I worked with Hammond for a little while, but that wasn't as fun as working with Grossberg."

"It wasn't?"

"Only because at that time I was pretty certain that I didn't need a babysitter. Also, Hammond and I didn't see eye-to-eye on a few things, but that's nothing you need to hear about now."

"Don't you two get along?"

"Oh we do. Now, anyway. As long as we're not on the same case." Diego waved a hand dismissively, changing the subject. "So how are you settling in to your own office?"

They chatted for a while after that, Diego trying his best to ease Mia into a gentle conversation. He shared some stories about his own introduction which made her smile with sympathy and also amusement, particularly when it came to his own adventures with the filing system. Perhaps to humble him a little, Grossberg had insisted that Diego spent a few days with the filing clerks, who were undertaking some archiving. It had taken several washes to get the dust out of his clothes and he had gone back to Grossberg with Band-Aids on his hands from all the paper cuts.

However, as they talked, it seemed that Mia was more content to listen than to speak. When the conversation turned, her answers were carefully neutral and never revealed too much detail. Sure, she was speaking enough so that she wasn't giving one-word answers or responding with stony silence, but what she was saying was vague. So perhaps she didn't like talking about herself much, or maybe, as Diego suspected, she would have to warm up a little first. After all, it was only their first day together.

After a natural break in the conversation when Mia had been talking about the cost of public transport and traveling on the train (again, a topic that didn't cover anything too personal), Diego checked his watch. It was time for them to get moving. He said so, pushing his cup to one side.

"Aren't you going to finish your coffee?" Mia asked, swallowing the last of her green tea.

"I rarely do at this place. Getting coffee here is more of a way to facilitate conversation than to quench a thirst." He stood up, waiting for Mia to do the same before he started to exit the cafeteria.

"Want to watch another trial, Ms Fey? Somehow I don't think seeing Winston Payne in action was really the best example."

"No, that's ok. We can head back to the office now."

"I see. Did you enjoy our little field trip, then?"

"Of course." She smiled briefly again and although pretty, once again it was nothing compared to the full-watt beam he had seen earlier. "What will we do back at the office?"

"Oh I'm sure I'll find something for us to work on."

"Sounds good." She was still looking around, even now. "We'll be here again soon, anyway, right?" A little casual hope crept into her voice.

"Yes we will."

Mia comfortably matched his pace. She was nodding a silent 'see you later' to the building as they went through it, something that Diego found utterly charming.


	3. Chapter 3

Mia finds a place for herself in the office, Diego tries some tea and together they start to settle into a comfortable routine.

Betaed by dioscureantwins, who is always full of useful suggestions. Thanks to wasureneba for the help with Americanizing this chapter. Any remaining mistakes are mine.

This fic is being cross-posted to AO3, should you want to read it there instead. Thanks for taking the time to read this story and I hope you enjoy it. Updates every 2-3 weeks.

* * *

_"Nothing beats a great smile" - _Karl Urban

* * *

The two of them had fallen into an easy routine. After the courthouse visit, Mia had been very keen to get started on some work and Diego had been only too happy to oblige, giving her things to read through to start with. As the week went on, she eventually took to sitting with him in his office, actively helping him with his workload. He began to grow used to her presence, appreciating the attractive company but also enjoying how she was unafraid to ask questions to clarify points, how her notes were always careful and neat and how she was so attentive and hard-working. No wonder Grossberg had hired her.

It was early in the morning, towards the start of Mia's second week under Diego's mentorship. Once again, Mia and Diego were the only ones already at work. They were in Diego's office, seated on opposite sides of Diego's desk. Both had steaming cups of green tea in front of them.

"Is it ready yet?" Diego peered curiously at the cup in front of him. Dark green flecks and a few toasted grains of rice bobbed on the surface of the water.

Mia flicked a glance at the clock on the wall. Like most of the clocks at Grossberg Law Offices, it was made of a dark wood and had elegant Roman numerals on its face, with golden hands ticking away the time. "No, it's only been thirty seconds."

"Do you always time it this precisely?" Diego hated that clock; he had always wanted to exchange it for something that was more instantly readable.

"Not always, but I think this time it's important." The clock continued to count the seconds until a minute and a half had elapsed.

"Is the cup supposed to be this small?" Diego could wrap one hand around the cup easily, and being charged with drinking out of something so... tiny... was unfamiliar to him.

"These are the cups I use for green tea."

"Yes, but is there any scientific reason behind putting it in this thing?" He poked the side of the cup with a finger experimentally. "It might be too hot for me to hold without a handle."

Mia turned her attention back from the clock to Diego, giving him an amused smile. "What's with the cross-examination? One would think you were participating in a medical experiment rather than trying a cup of tea."

"Seek out all the information. It's one of my rules, Ms Fey."

She nodded in acceptance and was quiet for a moment, studying the cups. They were a plain, pale green color, and formed a matching pair. She held her cup delicately with two hands, the tips of her fingers pressed against the china.

"I don't have the answer, Mr Armando," Mia admitted finally. "These are just a set that I brought from home."

"Home?"

"Yes." She drummed her fingers against the cup silently. "When I first moved to the city, I took them with me as a keepsake. My sister said it was a good idea."

_So she has a sister._ Diego said nothing further, waiting for Mia to speak.

"These had been lying around the house for ages, we had always used them. One day a long time ago, my sister decided to paint our initials on the bottom of the cups so that we would know which one belonged to us. She got it into her head that one should always be for me, and the other should always be for her." Mia's eyes had taken on a distant expression as the memory returned to her and Diego watched carefully, hardly daring to breathe for fear of interrupting.

"Silly girl," Mia continued with an affectionate grin. "She was only little at the time and had forgotten that both our names start with M." She laughed gently, evidently picturing her sister's face upon realizing her mistake. The sight and sound was like a sunbeam flooding the room, so lovely that Diego couldn't help but smile in response.

Finally, Mia lifted her cup and took a sip, indicating for Diego to do the same. The liquid was very hot, but no hotter than how he usually took his coffee. He took a delicate sip, copying Mia. The tea had a subtle and natural flavor, the toasted rice adding a savory and earthy hint. When Mia looked at him for a response, he nodded his appreciation slowly. "Not what I would usually go for, but not unpleasant all the same."

She smiled. "Good. Shall we start work, then?"

"As long as you're comfortable perched on that side of the desk."

"It'll do for now." Mia set her teacup down to one side and reached for a pen, Diego following suit. "So, tell me about the property on Knot's Close…"

* * *

The office came alive around them as the morning went on. Grossberg paused in the doorway to say good morning and nod his approval at the two of them working away. Hammond passed by with a casual wave, calling out, "God, why are you two here so early?" Grossberg's secretary scurried past without a word as if she was late, even though she was perfectly on time. Various other lawyers and office staff filtered in. Around them the sound of typing, conversation and ringing telephones swelled to form a gentle background accompaniment. Diego and Mia had continued to work the whole time, both absorbed in what they were doing, hardly speaking except for Mia to ask questions and Diego to answer them.

Their shared concentration was shattered by the sudden clamor of the phone on Diego's desk. Without looking up from his documents, Diego picked it up. "Grossberg Law Offices, Armando speaking."

"Diego, hi," a female voice purred in his ear. "It's Serena, from upstairs."

At that, Diego paused and shifted his attention. "Oh, hello."

He remembered Serena, an office manager from one of the other companies based in the building. Grossberg Law Offices were one of several groups that hired office space here, the rest being other high-profile organizations which varied from private investment firms to consultancy and recruitment agencies. One evening Diego had been working late, and run into Serena by the elevators. She had been tipsy from leaving an office party; he had been tired after a long day but still appreciative of a beautiful woman paying him attention. One thing had led to another.

"What can I do for you?" he asked her now.

"Can't a girl just call to say hi?"

"Maybe, but you only call if you want something, if I remember correctly."

She laughed sweetly down the phone. "Yes, but this time I have something for you. Seeing as you're always keen to get down to business… We're moving offices soon and are using it as an opportunity to clean things up a little. We're getting rid of a few things, and I thought that you might be interested in a little sofa we have up here."

"A sofa?" He could picture Serena biting her lip playfully, but across from him, Mia was nibbling on her own lower lip with concentration and the image of Serena vanished. _How did I not notice_ _that little mole near her mouth_? He had to force himself to turn his attention back to the phone conversation. "This is an office, not a living room. Will something like that fit?"

"It's more like a cozy, small two-seater," Serena answered soothingly. "From what I saw of your office a few months ago, it would certainly fit in one corner. Add a little warmth to that stern interior."

_Oh that's right, I brought her here once._ Following their initial, late-night encounter, the two of them had continued to meet for dinner, drinks, and other activities that would make a rookie blush. It had been a great diversion, and Serena had been insatiable. However, they had gone their separate ways after their brief affair - Serena had been unapologetic with her sudden dismissal of him, Diego had been unconcerned in return and they had wished each other well. Since then, they had exchanged pleasantries if they saw each other in the building, but nothing further.

"It's kind of you to offer," Diego said after a moment, still watching Mia, "but the important question is whether it's even my style." When Mia looked up at that comment in amusement, Diego gave her a joking wink. Mia smiled slightly and went back to reading.

Serena laughed. "It is, Diego. The upholstery is smooth and dark like that coffee you like so much. Besides, it will fit your color scheme perfectly."

"Well then, consider me sold." He surveyed the corner of his office that was the only logical place for a sofa to go. "Never turn down a free gift, that's—"

"One of your rules, I'm sure. I'll be down later with some helpful gentlemen."

"Excellent. See you then."

He hung up the phone to see Mia looking at him quizzically, her pen hovering above the page. "Is everything ok, Sir?"

"It's nothing important, just someone doing me a favor." He stood up casually, rising out of his chair in one smooth and fluid motion. The tea had been enjoyable but he really wanted a cup of coffee. "Ellis and Co are moving out. I've been offered a sofa to go in that corner."

"Are you allowed to do that?"

"Sure, why not? I had to battle for the coffee machine and that little cabinet it stands on but when I won, Grossberg conceded that I could do what I liked inside my office." Technically, that wasn't correct; Grossberg had said with his characteristic harrumph _Well, Diego, I won't be able to stop you from doing what you like with your office, but as long as you don't change the wall or floor color… Dammit, Diego now everyone's going to want something._ Still, Diego had chalked it up as a win and celebrated with a pot of fresh coffee.

"It might be nice to have another place to sit in here," Mia mused, rocking experimentally on her seat. "Somewhere more comfortable than this spindly thing."

Diego nodded; the chair did look rather flimsy, besides the desk wasn't always going to suffice for the two of them to share. While the sofa wouldn't be suitable for very long periods of time, it would at least provide another spot for her, at least for the time he was her mentor. After that, it would have other uses. "Well, they'll be here in a little while."

"Actually, I was going to ask if I could take Toperman's files to my office. Just so I can lay them all out in front of me."

"Certainly."

"I'll be back in here later," Mia promised as Diego handed her the material. Before she left, she looked towards the corner for a moment, pausing to say something but suddenly deciding against it, she left, leaving the vague scent of her perfume behind her.

* * *

The sofa arrived eventually, carried awkwardly down the corridor towards Diego's office by two movers. Serena, a tall and proud-looking woman with dark hair, keen eyes and a sharply cut pant suit followed behind, directing them towards the office.

"Where do you want it?" one of the movers asked, wiping his brow as they set it down in the middle of the corridor.

Serena entered the office, ignoring everyone else for a moment and looking around it as if considering carefully, although there was only one place for it to go. Diego shook his head slightly at how she swept the room with a gaze as if it was hers. "There," she said finally, pointing to a corner towards the front of the room.

Diego had a moderately sized wooden desk, facing the door as was the usual at Grossberg Law Offices. Behind his desk were a set of windows that provided a wonderful view of the city, but Diego usually had the blinds half-closed to prevent the glare of light on his papers. Bookcases and filing cabinets were placed along the walls of the room, with space left towards the front. He had never wanted storage to take up all of the space, preferring to have at least the two front corners of the office dedicated to his coffee machine on the right, and a coat stand on the left. He had moved the coat stand in preparation for the sofa, and he watched as the movers shuffled the sofa through the doorway and into place.

He had to admit that Serena had been right about the sofa fitting in. It was made of a soft, dark brown material, and was only big enough to seat two people if they didn't mind their legs nearly touching. The brown of the sofa complemented the solid wooden floor of the office, as well as the golden yellow color of the walls, the standard color scheme of the firm being one that reflected light while remaining slightly decadent. It even vaguely matched the wood of the cabinet he had opposite, which had his coffee machine sitting proudly on the top.

"Thank you," Serena said with a grateful smile to the movers, who nodded in return. "I'll see you two back upstairs."

As they left the room, Serena turned to look at Diego. "I see you haven't changed much in here. Still no paintings or photographs on these walls or on your desk."

"I did consider one of those potted trees at one point, but now that corner's occupied by something a lot more practical."

"Yes, it is. Told you it would look good."

Diego merely shrugged in agreement.

"That's really the perfect spot for it." Serena was stepping very slowly and deliberately towards the door, and Diego noticed although he didn't react. "It doesn't interfere with the movement of the door or anything," she said, swinging it shut and then opening it again experimentally. Diego caught a flash of Mia in the opposite doorway, standing as if she was going to approach but before he could say anything, Serena shut the door again with a solid thud. "It's actually quite cozy in here," Serena continued, leaving the doorway and moving to stand in front of Diego.

"Thank you for the sofa, Serena." Diego shifted from where he had been leaning against his desk to stand with arms casually folded. "Where are your new offices?"

She took the hint with a smile. "The other side of town. An anonymous, glass building. I'll miss this place with its old world charm."

"You mean its broken bricks, creaky stairs and tired elevators."

"Oh, don't be like that Diego. This is a lovely building, and we both know it." Serena started to walk around the room, tracing a hand across the wall, eyeing the coffee pot, running a finger across the spines of the law books and coming to rest by the window. "So, how are things with you?"

"The same, really."

"So no new girls?" She smiled at him wickedly as he raised an eyebrow.

"No new girls." He smiled humorlessly, suddenly feeling disconcerted.

She circled around the desk, back towards Diego. "Not even that pretty doe-eyed creature across the way?"

At the reference to Mia, Diego was caught off-guard and Serena used it as an opportunity to move herself before him, standing very close, like a partner preparing for a waltz. As one of her hands moved to circle his waist, he vaguely remembered the feel of her against him but in this situation it just made him feel uncomfortable, especially when she rested her cheek on his shoulder.

"I'm mentoring Ms Fey for the month," Diego said finally, unfolding his arms but not moving to hold Serena in return. _There's no point to this; the dance ended a long while ago_.

"Mentoring? Is that what you call it nowadays?" She laughed and pulled away, realizing that Diego wasn't going to reciprocate. When he gave her a withering look, she shrugged. "You can't blame a girl for being jealous, Diego."

"What's there to be jealous of?" He tried to give her a friendly smile, but it wasn't quite working. "If I remember correctly, you were the one who described us as 'fun but temporary'."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I can't feel nostalgic."

"I guess not."

"You sound bitter, Diego."

"I'm not, I just..." He shrugged again, trying to find the words to articulate what he wanted to say. "I just don't see any point in playing a game with you. Fun, but temporary, you said, and I agree. I don't tend to retrace my steps."

She frowned but the look was quickly replaced with a neutral expression. "I see. Well, that's fair, I suppose." Looking steadily back at Diego, she extended a hand. "No hard feelings, Diego."

He shook her hand, glad that she appeared to be seeing it the same way, and pleased that the conversation had turned away from Mia. If Serena had probed further, perhaps she would have seen where his thoughts were heading, even if he wasn't entirely sure of them himself. "I have cases to attend to," he said, indicating that it was time for her to go.

Serena nodded, turning back to the door. Diego accompanied her there and opened it for her.

They paused to look at each other in the open doorway, exchanging a look that was saying goodbye. Diego was relatively unmoved; Serena had been a passing fling, nothing more. As for her thoughts about the matter, at least she wasn't regretful. That was always better.

"See you, Diego." She was tall enough that she didn't have to lean upwards to place a slow kiss on Diego's cheek, which he accepted stoically. Opposite, he suddenly noticed Mia in the doorway of her office, hovering awkwardly as if she had just chosen that moment to step outside and was regretting it.

"Thank you," he said to Serena with a nod. She smiled and winked at him before leaving.

As her footsteps faded away down the hall, Diego looked across at Mia through the open doorway.

"Sorry, Mr Armando," she said softly, slanting her gaze away from him. "I... was going to ask you a question, but I think I'll be able to continue independently for a bit longer." Before Diego could respond, she went back into her office, closing the door gently.

He stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do, Serena's words about Mia still swanning around in his head. He was going to stride forward and knock on Mia's door, but seeing Hammond down the corridor out of the corner of his eye, Diego thought better of it and went to sit back at his desk.

He spent the next half hour or so toying with the idea of calling for Mia with a trivial question, but kept deciding against it. What had she seen? Nothing, really, just an old friend giving him a kiss on the cheek. There was nothing wrong with that. Maybe Mia really had just chosen to work in her own office for a little while longer. Distractedly, Diego poured himself some coffee, deciding to leave it black.

Soon after he had taken a seat behind his desk and his first scaldingly hot sip, the door opposite opened. Mia padded softly across the hall and knocked.

"No need to knock, Ms Fey," Diego said, unsure if it was the coffee or the sight of Mia that was making him feel better. "If the door is open, the door is open."

She was holding documents in one hand and a pad full of handwritten notes in the other. "I had some questions..." Pausing as she noticed the sofa, she turned to look at it.

"What do you think?" Diego took another sip of coffee, watching. Mia, as usual, was unreadable.

"It's... Nice." She sounded as if she had never really been convinced of the whole idea but she was looking at the sofa rather carefully, as if judging its place in the room. "It was thoughtful of your... friend... to give it to you."

"She... Wasn't really a friend, we just know each other." Diego watched carefully over his coffee as Mia took in his words but either she indeed had an excellent poker face or she wasn't thinking of anything in particular. "With the sofa, she saw it as a mutually agreeable arrangement."

"I see." She looked as if she was considering this new information carefully, turning it over in her mind.

_What is there to think about, Mia?_ "Why don't you try it?" Diego offered, trying to dispel any thoughts of where the sofa had come from. "You can have the honor."

She hesitated initially. "I guess... it is yours now, right? Doesn't matter where it came from." She said the words so quietly that Diego barely heard them. Had she been thinking out loud?

Wandering over to the sofa slowly, Mia extended one hand as she reached it and ran her fingers over the cushions, as if tracing a lover's shape. Nodding with approval, she eventually turned and slid onto the cushions, leaning into the backrest with a slow, luxurious air, like a cat that had found the perfect place to lounge. Her eyes fell closed briefly as she absorbed her new seat. Her skirt was riding up a little, and with a practiced movement, she slid it down quickly, her hands skimming the outer edge of her thighs, inadvertently drawing attention to them as she pressed them together and crossed her ankles.

Diego, suddenly feeling as if he was intruding, had to take another sip of coffee to distract him from... inappropriate thoughts.

The whole series of movements had been careful and deliberate, but when Mia opened her eyes, her expression was perfectly guileless. "It's rather comfortable," she said. "Do you mind if I try working here for a little while?"

"Ms Fey, you can do whatever you like with that sofa." Oh god, what had he said just now? Well, nothing too obviously wrong apparently because she didn't look offended, thankfully. _She's a lovely woman._ Now _don't spoil it, Armando,_ he told himself sternly.

She smiled, pleased, and sprang to her feet. "Great! I'll... be back shortly." Mia stepped to the doorway but turned before Diego could catch his breath. "You... should say thank you to your friend. From me. I think I'll enjoy sitting there." With an innocent smile, she left the room.

Diego looked at the sofa, which showed the ever-so-slight signs of Mia's shape. When the image of her fixing her skirt started to take hold again, he took another large sip of coffee. The liquid was hot and bitter enough that he nearly winced, but he turned and instantly went to the pot for more.

* * *

"Diego, what on earth is this, my boy?"

"A sofa." Diego stopped writing for a moment to survey Grossberg, who was looking at the sofa and wiggling his mustache with disapproval.

"Where did you get it from?"

"They were throwing away some furniture upstairs. Someone thought I might like this piece."

"And what exactly do you think you're going to do with it?"

Diego set down his pen and leaned back in his office chair casually, meeting Grossberg's near-disapproving glance evenly, without flinching. Sometimes the key to Grossberg was to stand your ground. "Sit on it, of course. Maybe even nap, but in my own time of course, not company time."

Grossberg shook his head, his glasses winking in the light. "But if you have one, then everyone will want one."

"Sir, I think I remember you presenting the same argument when I asked for the coffee machine, and I distinctly remember no further requests coming in since."

"Yes, but—"

They were interrupted by Hammond sweeping through the doorway. He never could resist poking his head in whenever something was happening, especially if it seemed that Diego was in trouble. "What's all the commotion in here?" he asked, looking between Grossberg and Diego. His eyes fell on the sofa and he grinned. "Oh, I see how it is."

"Yes, that's how it is." Diego adjusted his chair so that he was leaning back even further. He and Hammond looked at each other with a mutual smile. "I think it suits the place, don't you?"

"Actually, yes. But you won't catch me putting one in my office," Hammond commented. "It encourages visitors too much, I think. And laziness."

"Since when have I been lazy?"

Hammond shrugged unapologetically. "I was just saying."

"You were 'just saying'?"

"Diego, I'm going to have to ask you to remove this piece of furniture," Grossberg cut in, ignoring the banter between the two men. "There's simply no real need for—"

"Excuse me." Just then, Mia slipped into the room, holding a thick book, a notepad and a document wallet. She moved past Hammond and Grossberg, heading straight for the sofa and parking herself on it comfortably, leaving the book to one side while she rifled through the document wallet to find what she needed. Within moments, she was settled on the sofa with the open book to her left and documents to her right, perusing the book while she poised her pen to take notes. After a minute or so, she realized that the room had fallen silent to stare at her sitting on the sofa as if it belonged to her. "Oh, sorry, don't let me interrupt," she said, sheepishly. "Shall I leave?"

"No, Ms Fey," Diego told her kindly, shooting a look of triumph at Grossberg who acknowledged the victory with a furrowed brow. "These two were just popping into the office to admire my new acquisition."

"Oh, would you like to try it?" Mia asked with a reassuring smile. "It's quite comfortable."

"I'm not sure comfort was the issue," Hammond muttered under his breath. Diego scowled at him but all this got from Hammond was a look of pretended innocence.

"Yes, well…" Grossberg cleared his throat loudly as he rocked back and forth on his heels. "Hmm. Lovely furniture, Diego but do consult me the next time you decide to do some decorating, yes?"

"Yes Sir," Diego said dutifully before Grossberg turned and left the office, Hammond in tow. When they were gone, he swiveled his attention to Mia to flash her a thank-you-grin, but she already had her nose in her book.

* * *

For the rest of the afternoon, Mia sat on the sofa, working away quietly, occasionally shifting positions. Sometimes she sat with her back straight, and at one point she rotated herself around so that her long legs covered the length of the sofa. With her movements, her skirt was constantly tipping between the maddening point of being very revealing, or perfectly modest. Diego was finding it very distracting, so he was almost thankful when Grossberg's secretary knocked with a message from Mr Toperman, even if it wasn't exactly welcome.

"We're going out," Diego said to Mia, gathering his things. He wasn't sure whether he was glad to be away from the sight of Mia on the sofa or not, and whether sitting in the back of a taxi with her was going to be better, or worse. As he downed the last mouthful of coffee and watched Mia slip some things into her satchel, he tried to bring his mind back to work, but only found himself annoyed at the thought of having to go and pay Toperman a visit and distracted once again at the thought of Mia climbing into the back of a car.

"Where are we going?" Mia asked once they were both ready and in the elevator.

"To see my favorite client," Diego replied in a voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Who's that?"

"Mr Frederick Toperman," Diego replied, watching the floor numbers tick downwards.

Mia said nothing but clutched her satchel tighter as the elevator hummed. Diego meanwhile tried to recall the details of his last conversation with Toperman, and the current state of his business.

* * *

It didn't take long to reach the Toperman residence, a large and impressive house along a row of equally large and impressive houses, each with prim and proper gardens and driveways purposefully built to accommodate luxury cars as well as leave gaps between neighbors. After buzzing through a security gate, Diego walked up the driveway, Mia trailing behind. She was pausing to look at the garden's attractive foliage, but Diego had already seen it all, enough to be bored by it. He stepped onto the porch, ringing the doorbell. The front door was framed by a set of white columns which caught Mia's attention as the stood behind Diego, waiting for the door to open.

"Nobody else on the street has columns," Diego said to her quietly, seeing her examining the white marble.

She nodded her understanding just as the door was opened by a gentleman in a smart suit.

"Ah, Mr Armando. Thank you for attending so quickly. Mr Toperman realized that he had a moment free this afternoon and wished to speak with you. Let me escort you to his study." The gentleman spoke in clipped tones and stood stiffly to one side.

"That won't be necessary. I know where it is."

"Excellent, Sir. Well then, I'll leave you." Just like that, the gentleman left.

Mia looked at Diego with another question in her eyes. "Columns," he said again by way of explanation. "A man who has columns obviously needs a butler."

Further evidence of Toperman's wealth littered the house from the opulent furniture to the elaborate paintings on the walls of rooms that they passed. All of the rooms were empty, looking like exhibits on display rather than living spaces, the furniture neat and unused. Mia looked as if she was afraid to breathe as she walked past rooms that had glass cabinets in them, with tiny treasures on display.

"Don't be so easily impressed, Ms Fey," Diego advised her softly as they approached the study. "Grossberg attracts this caliber of client all the time, and clients are just people. Treat them all equally, whether they live in a palace or in a box."

Looking embarrassed, Mia nodded.

The door which led to Toperman's study was ajar when Diego knocked. There was a silence, and Mia looked enquiringly at him but he shook his head, smiling to reassure her. _He likes to appear busy_. Diego knocked once more, louder this time.

"Come in!"

Diego gave Mia a wry look before entering.

"Ah, Diego, my man!"

Frederick Toperman stood up from behind his desk, rising majestically, his very presence filling the room as he stepped forward to meet Diego halfway. He clasped Diego's hand in a firm and friendly shake by way of greeting. "So good of you to come!"

"Of course." Diego tried to clasp Toperman's hand just as firmly, but that was rather difficult when Toperman had already taken the dominant position. Diego willed the look of chagrin he felt to remain hidden beneath his collar.

Toperman was the same height as Diego, although broader in the shoulders. His hair was a shining honey blond, complimenting emerald-green eyes, locks falling in carefully-groomed waves around chiseled cheekbones and an angular jawline. He carried himself with an air of confident success mirrored in his direct and appraising gaze. The suit he wore was of a high-quality gray silk, exquisitely cut and of just the right shade to match the light pink shirt he wore, its top button deliberately left undone to reveal a winking gold medallion around his neck. It wasn't the only item of jewelry he wore – there was also the heavy golden watch that adorned his wrist and several thick rings on his right hand. His outfit was completed by a pair of supple, pointed leather dress shoes, neatly tied and gleaming with the shine of a recent purchase.

"I thought that I could squeeze you in before I have to go and meet the Defoes for lunch." Toperman checked his watch in a flashy gesture. "Would you believe we're meeting at Lordly Tailor _again_? It's like the men would have me believe there was no other high-class eatery in the city! And Lordly Tailor isn't even a proper restaurant – it's a dining place on top of a department store for goodness' sake!" He shook his head with the thought of this affront on his tastes before continuing. "Anyway, thanks again, Diego. I just wanted to clear a few things up with you— and oh, who is this?"

Apparently just noticing Mia, he moved past Diego to where she had been politely standing near the doorway, extending a hand to bring her closer to the center of the room.

Mia obliged and stood perfectly still as Toperman surveyed her like a work of art, examining her from all angles. "Diego, how rude of you for not introducing me to your companion!" His stare was admiring, but too close to a leer for Diego's liking.

"This is my colleague, Ms Fey," Diego said, stepping to stand at Mia's side and refusing to move when Toperman looked at him with the annoyance of a man with a blocked view.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr Toperman," Mia said pleasantly, extending her hand.

Toperman took it, lifting her hand gently to place a kiss on her knuckles. "You can call me Frederick. What a pleasure it is to meet you… Say, what can I call you?" He was giving her his most charming smile.

"You can call me Ms Fey," Mia said in response, so innocently that Diego almost laughed. She turned Toperman's hand gently but firmly into a polite handshake. "I look forward to doing business with you."

"And I, you." He turned to Diego with a wolfish grin. "A woman who's all business. I like that."

"I'm certain you'll like the business we do," Mia said, not giving Diego time to formulate a dignified response on her behalf. "Mr Armando briefed me on the work he's been doing for you recently. Was this meeting to discuss that, or did you have something else in mind?"

"Oh, I have many things in mind, Ms Fey," Toperman said, openly looking Mia up and down from her neat hair to her neckline, the hem of her skirt and her heels.

"A busy gentleman like you must." Mia didn't flinch, but simply encouraged the conversation back to business with an expression which was at once neutral and expectant. "Do you have any further concerns about the Knot's Close deal? I understand that they had yet to respond to your generous offer, even with the deadline you gave them fast approaching."

Of course she had read all of the notes he had given her, and paid careful attention to their discussions. Pleased at this demonstration of Mia's skills, Diego waited patiently while Toperman admitted defeat and went to his desk, rifling through some papers. Diego tried to catch her eye once or twice to show his appreciation, but she was looking resolutely ahead with those keen eyes of hers, standing perfectly still and at attention. She only moved for a brief moment when Toperman turned his back, taking the short time to adjust her necklace and shake her hair out slightly, like a fighter preparing to re-enter the fray. She was ready and waiting again when Toperman turned back with a sheaf of papers.

"I need you to look at this." He handed them to Mia with a smile, eyes bordering on a wink. "Well, you and Diego, of course. The company agreed to my offer, and worked with my guys to create a first draft. Just give it a look and see if anything looks like it might put me at a… disadvantage."

Mia took the papers, thumbing the stack quickly.

"I explained to Frederick that Grossberg Law Offices doesn't specialize in acquisitions or takeovers, but we're willing to offer an opinion if he wants one," Diego explained.

"And oh yes, I do want one," Toperman continued. "Particularly if it comes from a lawyer as attractive as yourself." He looked at Mia again, waiting for a reaction and appeared slightly dismayed when it took her a long while to look up from the papers.

"Was there anything else?" she asked, moving to place the documents inside her satchel, more interested in the paperwork than in the man who owned it.

"Actually, yes, there were a few more things—"

That moment, a woman barged into the room. The heady scent of expensive perfume filled the air as she entered, sweeping her long white coat behind her, elegant heels clicking loudly on the floor. Her face was mostly obscured by a sheer silk scarf which she drew from her mouth in order to speak. "Frederick, did you call the painters like I— oh. I didn't realize you had visitors." She surveyed everyone with piercing grey eyes and swept a thin hand with glossy, manicured nails across styled blond hair that was a cooler shade than Toperman's. Seeing that Diego was in the room, she swanned up to him and planted air kisses on both of his cheeks in an exaggerated display. "Diego, darling, Frederick didn't say you were stopping by!"

"Lovely to see you again, Isabelle," Diego said politely, noting how carefully Mia was watching the two of them. "This is my colleague, Ms Fey."

"How do you—" Mia started to say, only to find herself interrupted.

"Oh my, you are a pretty young thing," she drawled. "I hope you're well-versed in sexual harassment law if you're working with my husband." Isabelle cast an eye at Toperman, who scowled back at her.

"Ms Fey is highly trained in all aspects of law, as one would expect of any member of Grossberg's firm," Diego said, attempting to smooth over the potential embarrassment. Mia was looking at Isabelle with her usual calculatingly neutral stare, recognizing the remark as an insult aimed at Toperman instead of her.

Toperman reacted accordingly. "You could at least knock," he growled at Isabelle.

"But darling, why?" she answered with a broad smile, displaying a set of pearly white teeth that looked too beautiful to be true. "It's my house, too."

"And a very lovely house it is," Mia cut in. "Were you responsible for the decorating, Mrs Toperman?"

"Ms Frost, please," Isabelle corrected her. "As if I would take _his_ name when we married. And most of it, yes." She smiled proudly. "My husband is supposed to be calling in some painters for one of the upstairs rooms, though. If he ever gets around to it." When Toperman mumbled something about _priorities_, Isabelle frowned at him and turned to Diego. "Diego, darling, I'm sure if anyone can get through to my husband, it's you." She stroked his arm and batted her eyelashes at him. "Or you could just do it for me."

Diego shrugged apologetically. "I'm afraid, Isabelle, that I'm here strictly for your husband's legal business."

"Oh, what a shame," she cooed, leaning forward so that her lips were very close to his ear. Diego stayed very still as she started to whisper. "Once you're finished with business, let me show you one or two things about _pleasure_."

Diego didn't smile. He knew that Mia had heard because he saw her raise an eyebrow and look away.

Thankfully, Toperman coughed loudly, causing Isabelle to step back "He's not your type, Isabelle," Toperman said with disdain. "You like them only just past the legal age, remember? It's why I hired an older gardener."

"He's so old he throws his back out every time he rakes a leaf!" Isabelle shot back, looking longingly at Diego for a moment before turning to eye her husband with a furious look that would have given the most experienced judge a moment's pause.

"Good, it means he won't be throwing you on your back any time soon! Unlike the last one."

"Oh shut up! Do I need to remind you of your 'secretary'? She couldn't even type. But then I guess she wasn't hired to spread her _fingers_ behind her desk."

The two spent a long moment glaring at each other before Mia's quiet cough reminded them that other people were present. They appeared to reach a silent agreement to behave themselves in front of the others. Their voices struck up again at a normal volume, even though they dripped with venom.

"I'm so glad we have a pre-nup, aren't you, _dearest_?"

"I am, _sweetling_. Diego, be a darling and look over it again for us, will you?" Isabelle turned away from everyone to adjust her coat. "I'm going out – be sure to call the painters like I asked you." With that, she left the room, the sound of her shoes echoing down the corridor.

"That woman…" Toperman shook his head in near disbelief. "Unbelievable. But by God, is she dynamite in bed."

Mia flinched slightly, drawing Diego's attention once more.

Toperman was oblivious however, and continued. "There's this amazing thing that she does with her mouth that—"

"If I can stop you there, Frederick," Diego said smoothly, "where were we before your wife interrupted us?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes. Yes of course." Toperman went back to his desk and gestured for the two of them to take a seat on the other side of it.

As the conversation turned back to legal business, Mia seemed to relax a little. On familiar ground, she was confident and assured, smiling politely at further comments Toperman made regarding her appearance, but always turning the discussion back to more formal matters. Diego took a back seat during the meeting, only adding the occasional comment and elaboration, explaining things further where there were gaps in Mia's knowledge. Mostly, he just enjoyed watching Mia work, managing Toperman neatly, her smile professional yet courteous, her tone even and polite, her conduct graceful and business-like.

* * *

"That... went fairly well," Mia said carefully once they were in a taxi on their way back to the office. She kept checking that her satchel was secure now that it was full of documents to peruse.

"You were great in there," Diego said, turning to look at her. "He's not the easiest of people to handle."

Mia laughed nervously. "He... wasn't so bad." At Diego's raised eyebrow, she reddened a little, perhaps making up for the neutral facade she had presented to Toperman.

"Sometimes, he can be ok. Other times…" In an attempt to alleviate her discomfort, Diego gave her a smile. "Do you know what Frederick can be shortened to?"

"Freddy?"

"That wasn't the name I was thinking of, Ms Fey."

Mia laughed a little, covering her mouth delicately. He watched the tension leave her shoulders as she settled back in her seat.

"Really, Ms Fey," he continued, "you were fantastic in there. It certainly helps that he took a shine to you, but you handled his more... questionable behavior with grace. Remember though that I'm there if you need an intervention in our future encounters with him."

Mia nodded. "Thank you, but I think I'll be fine as long as we can talk about business. I appreciated you being there, though, Sir." She was fiddling with the clasps of her satchel again as Diego looked at her. Her hair was framing her face once more, her bangs swept to one side. The tail of her scarf was draped elegantly over one shoulder, following the curve of her body down to her skirt.

"No problem," Diego said, glad that he had been able to provide some reassurance, and painfully aware of how cozy it was in the back seat.

They were quiet for a while as the car moved towards the central streets of the city, the traffic steadily increasing.

"Sir?" Mia said suddenly, making Diego turn to look at her.

"What is it, Ms Fey?"

"I... just wanted to say thank you for being my mentor, Mr Armando." Mia was avoiding looking at him as she said it, as if she was embarrassed for giving voice to her gratitude. "I've really enjoyed spending time with you so far. Ah, I mean, working with you so far." She looked up at him just then with a direct smile that made Diego's heart skip a beat.

He smiled back without hesitation. "The feeling is mutual, Ms Fey."

The taxi slowed to stop at a set of traffic lights. Through the window, Diego spotted a coffee shop, tables set outside it, a few pairs of people nursing mugs and gently conversing as the city bustled around them. An idea popped into his mind.

"Ms Fey?" He took a breath before saying the next part. "I was thinking. We've both been arriving at the office a little early. Why don't we take some time in the morning to do something away from the office for a change?"

"Like what?"

He had decided to ask on impulse, but perhaps he should have thought about it more carefully first. "You let me try some green tea. Why don't I show you one of my favorite coffee places?"

"Coffee?" She nibbled her lip, unsure.

"I just thought..." Diego trailed off. Where was his usual sense of cool and calm confidence going? Mentally scrambling to regain his footing, Diego tried again. "Instead of sitting in the office, why don't we do a review one morning somewhere else, over coffee? Two birds, one stone as it were." Maybe she would be more receptive if he wrapped it up in the thought of work.

Mia considered it for a moment, leaving Diego on tenterhooks before she finally spoke. "Sure, that sounds great. I mean, it might be good to look over things in a more... casual environment. Where would we go?" She trained those lovely eyes of hers on him expectantly.

"The coffee place is only a short walk away from the building." He smiled what he hoped was a reassuring smile rather than a triumphant grin.

"Certainly. Just let me know when." Mia gave him a characteristic slight smile as the lights turned green, and the car resumed its journey back to the office.


	4. Chapter 4

A coffee break, a case and a certain realization.

Betaed by dioscureantwins, wonderfully smart and beautifully helpful in her suggestions. Thanks to pinksonia for the help with Americanizing this chapter. Any remaining mistakes are mine.

This fic is being cross-posted to AO3, should you want to read it there instead. Thanks for taking the time to read this story and I hope you enjoy it. Updates every 2-3 weeks.

* * *

"_What Reason weaves, by Passion is undone_." - Alexander Pope

* * *

_It's just coffee, Armando._ Diego splashed cold water on his face and looked in the mirror as he reached for a towel. He ran a hand over his cheek and chin experimentally and decided that the amount of stubble around his goatee was enough to look, what he hoped was, ruggedly handsome instead of ungroomed. _It's just coffee,_ he repeated in his head again as he started trying to tame his hair, which was determinedly standing on end in a comical rather than controlled way._ Dammit._

Last week as they had left the Toperman residence, Mia had agreed to coffee. Unfortunately, for the rest of the week they had been unable to step away from the office, overburdened instead with work. Hammond had been involved in some high-profile cases which meant that he transferred a lot of his other stuff over to Diego. As the week had finally drawn to a close and they had settled the last of Hammond's paperwork, they had arranged to meet first thing on Monday. For Diego, it felt like a kind of reward at the time, having had to postpone something enjoyable for the sake of work (although spending so much time working closely with Mia had in itself been enjoyable). Now that the time for their coffee morning was upon him, he was starting to worry.

As he went through the rest of his morning routine, Diego tried to think of things to say to Mia, rehearsing replies, trying to anticipate questions and preparing answers, drifting into scenarios which ended with Mia smiling shyly at him and suggesting that they continue their conversation over dinner some time. He scolded himself as he wandered into his bedroom to get dressed. _No, I shouldn't be—_

But hadn't he wanted to get to know her better? _Yes, but maybe not—_ Mia was beautiful and intelligent, and he had grown even more fascinated with her at every conversation, every knock on his door and every slight smile at his jokes. What was wrong with wanting to get to know her even more? _Is there even a work policy against fraternization? Even if there wasn't, do I really want to go down that road? She's a colleague, after all. It wouldn't be right, somehow_. Even as he told himself that while throwing a tie on, images rolled through his mind. Mia in candlelight, Mia in clothes other than her usual suit, Mia without— at this, Diego shook his head. _Hold it together, Armando_.

Just why was he becoming so preoccupied with Ms Mia Fey? _It's because she's turning out to be far more than I expected._ With a huff of frustration, he undid the knot and started again. _She's very attractive, yes, and very clever. But she's determined, hardworking and optimistic_. The second attempt wasn't quite right, either. _She's young, but she's already quite skilled. She'll be a fantastic attorney_. It was third time lucky with the tie. With a wry smile at his eventual success, Diego reached for his vest.

_Those eyes... and that smile, my god_. Diego's fingers slipped awkwardly on his buttons as he recalled Mia's million-dollar smile during their courthouse visit. _She's wonderful, simply wonderful_. Realizing that he had misbuttoned his vest, Diego cursed and tried once more. _But I should be focusing on mentoring her. Showing her the ropes._ The vest now neatly buttoned, he adjusted the buckle at the back. _Yes, that should come first. She's a rookie and a colleague, and she deserves my professional attention_.

As he was leaving the apartment, Diego resolved to push away all inappropriate thoughts. _The game's over, she's more than..._ The thought died when he shut his apartment door with a solid bang. _I won't be able to stop myself from admiring her, but I can at least keep quiet about it. I don't want to make her uncomfortable, not like Toperman_. At this, Diego shuddered. _It will be fine. Just focus on the work_.

As he waited for the elevator, he smoothed his vest down, noticing a coffee stain near one of the buttons. With a curse, he wheeled back towards his apartment.

* * *

The cafe was a short distance from the office, and one that Diego frequented. While there was a stand on the corner that served acceptable coffee, when Diego wanted a real cup he tended to make the short walk to Abe's. He had been a little excited at the thought of showing this place to Mia; as far as he was aware, nobody else in the office ventured this way so it was kind of his own little secret. As they entered and moved towards a worn wooden table in the corner, Diego nodded a greeting to the owner, Abe himself, who was stood behind the counter arranging packets of beans. The place was small, but had a warm and cozy feel to it, the old mismatching furniture, odd cups and saucers and the artwork from vinyl records on the walls making it feel half like undiscovered dive and half like an old friend's living room.

As they sat down, Mia smiled shyly at Diego. "You look nice, Sir. That black vest really suits you."

"Do you think so? Thank you." Diego smiled at the compliment, smoothing the front of his vest self-consciously. She didn't have to know that he had found this one in the corner of his closet after all other options had been desperately discarded as unsuitable. "You look as lovely as always, Ms Fey."

She blushed a little at the compliment. "Ah, this is an old dress. It's nothing special."

"It's a dress? I hadn't noticed. I thought you were wearing a jacket and skirt."

Looking somewhat embarrassed at the attention, Mia adjusted her scarf where it trailed down her back to avoid fidgeting with her figure-hugging clothes. "Yes, it's a one-piece. The zipper goes right from the top to the bottom."

How had he missed that? Diego carefully avoided looking at the top of the zipper which hovered teasingly near Mia's cleavage. Just after he had made his resolution, as well. "Well, it suits you, Ms Fey." Wanting a distraction, Diego stood up. "Let me get us some coffee. After all that's the reason we're here."

Over at the counter, Abe, an elderly gentleman with tidy gray hair, friendly eyes and work-worn hands looked at Diego expectantly as he approached. "A new friend of yours, Mr Armando?" he said with a sly grin. "It's not often you see fit to bring a guest here, especially not at this hour."

"Shush," Diego said good-naturedly. "She's just a colleague."

"Of course. You let me serve coffee to all of your work friends." He gave Diego a conspiratorial wink, both of them knowing full well that Diego usually came here alone. "Now what can I get for you and the lady?"

A short time later and they were both sitting with cups in front of them. Mia was holding onto her cup for dear life, both hands wrapped around it firmly. While Diego had been away, she had taken the time to pull her notebook and a pen out of her satchel.

"You... Don't need to take notes, Ms Fey," Diego said gently, seeing how tense she was. "This was just supposed to be an informal opportunity to talk about how things are going now that we're over halfway through this mentorship."

"Oh." She reddened a little and scurried to put her things away.

"Just... Relax." Diego gave her an easy smile. "Talk to me about how you're finding the firm so far."

Mia nodded. She was initially hesitant but as she started to talk about work, and how she was settling in, her posture eased and the words started to flow more smoothly, to Diego's relief. She also tried some of the coffee and nodded with approval, laughing a little when Diego pointed out the small dab of milk froth on the tip of her (adorable but he didn't tell her that) nose. She talked for a while, Diego listening, picking up on what she told him between the lines. He gathered that she enjoyed interacting with clients, talking to actual people rather than being shut away doing some of the more administrative work, although she would never shy away from tasks that others deemed boring because she recognized the importance in small details and immaculate records. She enjoyed the mix of work so far, although she longed to return to the courthouse. She liked having her own office, but she felt that she learned more and was more comfortable in Diego's presence; having him as a mentor was something she was glad of. "I didn't know who Mr Grossberg was going to partner me with, but I'm happy it was you, Sir."

Before Diego could respond, Abe approached them. He had come under the pretense of clearing the table but behind that friendly expression, Diego could see a certain glint in his eye.

"'Sir', is it now, Diego?" he said with a grin, taking Diego's cup. "Don't let the poor girl call you 'Sir', not over drinks at my place." He winked at Mia. "Call him Diego when you're here, Miss. This is a coffee shop, not an office."

"Oh." Mia seemed to be doing an awful lot of blushing this morning. "I, erm... I didn't think it was appropriate."

"You can relax here, Miss. It's not business at Abe's, it's coffee and the company of another person." He picked up Mia's cup. "Don't blush so much, Miss, it's just his name, he won't mind. Now, I'll bring you two some more coffee so you can continue your conversation. On the house, seeing as Diego has never brought anyone here before." Mischief managed, Abe left them alone, whistling an old song.

When he was gone, there was an awkward pause between the two of them. Diego laughed a little to try and ease them out of it. "He's just making trouble. But he's right. You can call me Diego if you want, I don't mind. 'Sir' seems a little formal in this setting."

Mia looked as if she was considering this carefully. She was looking down at the worn surface of the table between them, quiet as she gave the idea some thought. Finally, she raised her eyes to meet his, and a shy smile hovered around her lips. "Well, perhaps just outside of the office then, if it's all right with you... Diego."

Diego looked back at her warm eyes and timid, yet expectant expression. Any witty quip he had thought of died on his lips and instead he simply nodded. "It's fine with me, Ms Fey."

"Mia," she corrected him quietly. "My name is Mia."

"Mia," he repeated, taking a breath. Painfully aware of the sudden silence and tension that had bloomed between them, he discovered to his dismay he couldn't disperse it. One part of him was scrambling for polite conversation; another part found a curious pleasure in examining the depth of her eyes and that inviting gaze while yet another part wondered just why she was looking at him with such intensity.

The spell between them was broken when Abe returned, clattering two brimming mugs, hearts drawn in the milk foam. They accepted their cups with nervous laughter before the conversation resumed.

* * *

"Where have you two been?" Hammond asked, spotting Mia and Diego as they walked into the reception area, still chatting. The clock read just after 10. "You're usually here before everyone, but when Grossberg needs you, he can't reach you."

With a frown, Diego dug into his pocket to see that his phone had registered several missed calls. _Oops_. "We were—" he began, but seeing that Hammond's smile was bordering on a smirk, he thought better of explaining. "Never mind." Diego started for Grossberg's office, knowing Hammond's subsequent expression without looking.

"Are we in trouble?" asked Mia, her cheeriness from earlier turning into an expression filled with worry. "Because I just want to say before I get shouted at that I had a really nice time this morning. It was really useful to have some time outside of the office and I think that—"

She was starting to babble and it was rather endearing. Diego softened and thought that any disapproval from Grossberg was probably going to be worth it for the morning he had just spent with Mia. "No, Ms Fey, we're not in trouble." He gave her a reassuring glance as they rounded the corner. "We just have a case."

"A case?" she breathed.

"Yes, Ms Fey." At her enthusiasm, he couldn't help but grin. "By the way," Diego said as they approached Grossberg's office, "I enjoyed this morning, too." He caught her smiling in response.

As they approached Grossberg's office, his secretary stood up to greet them. "Good morning, Mr Armando, Ms Fey." She was holding onto the desk as if to steady herself and stop from trembling. "Mr Grossberg is in his office, he's just on the ph-phone."

Diego nodded and settled to lean to one side and wait. Meanwhile, Mia addressed the secretary in hushed tones.

"How are you this morning, Ruby?"

"F-Fine, Ms Fey."

The two continued to talk in hushed tones. As they did, Diego watched Ruby visibly relaxing. How was it that Mia was able to have that effect on someone, but she was unable to calm herself down when talking to him? Rookie nerves, he supposed.

There was no time to dwell on the thought however as the intercom buzzed with a summons. Mia followed him into the office.

Grossberg gestured towards the chairs in front of his large desk. "Next time you do a morning meeting away from the office, Diego, be sure to check your phone, yes?" he said by way of greeting, running a hand over his slightly sweaty forehead.

"Yes Sir, my apologies." Diego bowed his head humbly.

Grossberg huffed his acceptance. "Well, down to business, my boy." He shoved the damp handkerchief back into an inner pocket with some difficulty. "We received a call this morning from Mr Kerr. His son was arrested in the early hours of this morning following a car accident."

"There was an accident and he was arrested?" The moment Diego asked the question, he knew the possible answers; seeing Grossberg's face, he knew the right one. "Who did he hit?"

With a sigh, Grossberg consulted his notes. "The son sustained minor injuries, as did his sister, who was also inside the car. He hit a young man and subsequently crashed the car."

Mia gasped. "Was the other person hurt?"

"Thankfully, not badly." Addressing both of them, Grossberg continued. "Well, the other side says that it would have been worse had it not been for the boy's good health, athletic prowess and so on. He's a football superstar, apparently. Anyway, the injured boy's father, Mr Golden, is calling for… Well, you know the sort, two rich gentlemen with sons involved in an incident… It becomes a matter of pride as well."

"Did he know the boy he hit?" Diego leaned forward, elbows resting on the desk as he tented his long fingers beneath his chin.

"The Golden boy had, apparently, been in a relationship with the young Ms Kerr."

With a curse, Diego leaned back in his chair again.

Grossberg chuckled. "You can probably see why I've been busy this morning." Reaching for a pen, he scribbled down a name with a spidery scrawl. "Go and see the boy who was driving. Diego… to make matters worse, the boy professes his guilt loudly and proudly. Says that it was deliberate, and that he's only sorry the other boy dove out of the way. His defense won't be easy." He smiled apologetically from beneath his mustache.

"But Sir," Mia interrupted, "he hit the other boy. It doesn't sound as if he has much of a defense."

At Mia's words, Grossberg slowly and deliberately replaced the cap of his pen before setting it down precisely on the desk. He thought for a moment before raising his eyes to look at Mia from over the top of his glasses.

"Ms Fey," he said gently, although not without a hint of reprimand, "we're being paid to provide a defense. Regardless of whether the angle of that defense is immediately apparent or not."

Mia reddened instantly. Diego's hand moved instinctively towards her arm for support and she didn't resist.

"Besides," Grossberg continued, his expression kindly, "when clients are so keen to be judged guilty, it makes me wonder whether there's more to a case than meets the eye."

"Leave this to us," Diego said confidently, taking the slip of paper while Mia bowed her head.

Grossberg nodded, turning back to the telephone. "I'll tell the boy's father that you're on your way." He started to dial a number, alternating between squinting at the buttons on the phone and the digits he had scribbled on his notepad. As they left the office, he waved to them with one large hand.

* * *

All through the journey to the Detention Center, Mia didn't say a word, sitting in the taxi with her hands neatly folded in her lap. They arrived and settled down to wait for their client, but she was still quiet. Finally, Diego couldn't take it anymore.

"It was nothing serious, Ms Fey." Seeing her all stiff was making him tense in turn, which wasn't going to help if they were to interview a client determined to be proven guilty. "It's over now, just relax."

She fidgeted a little, knotting her fingers together anxiously. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"Does that mean you're never going to speak again?"

"No, I'm just… Embarrassed."

Her brow was crinkled in the most attractive way. He imagined telling her so, which would certainly take her mind off Grossberg's comment, but would hardly be appropriate in this setting. Still, he wanted her to feel better; seeing her so disappointed in herself over something so minor bothered him more than he could say. "There are worse things to worry about than the fact that you spoke like a rookie. It's nothing we haven't all done at one point." She turned away a little but he twisted towards her, trying to catch her gaze, wanting to reach for her, holding on to his seat so that he wouldn't. "Hey, now," he said coaxingly. When she finally met his concerned look, he saw that her eyes were full of doubt.

"Listen to me. All of your work has been outstanding. You're smart, you're quick to learn and working with you is a real pleasure."

Her cheeks pinked. "It's not— I'm nothing special." She shook her head, bangs fluttering.

"Mia." At the use of her name, she raised her eyes to meet his earnest gaze. "You are. You're brilliant."

When her lips parted and her mouth opened slightly in surprise, Diego was unsure whether he had said too much. She was silent for a moment or so before she gave him a shy smile, her cloudy mood lifting. He smiled back in response. Conscious of another loaded silence growing, he reached for a joke to lighten the mood.

"You wouldn't be working with _me_ if you weren't."

When that made her laugh, he knew that he had done well, and the knowledge warmed him a little. They sat next to each other in companionable silence after that, Mia much more relaxed, tipping her head to one side towards Diego, trying to catch a glimpse of the clock on the wall. Her head hovered near his shoulder, and Diego imagined her resting her head on his arm briefly, her brown strands mingling with the red of his shirt.

Their client walked in shortly after, a tall, skinny young man with quiffed hair, long limbs and a bloodstained wife-beater underneath his leather jacket. Nicky Kerr refused to speak to them at first, proclaiming his guilt, but when Diego casually mentioned his father, he flinched and finally relented. After a few minutes, Diego looked encouragingly at Mia, gesturing for her to continue the interview. Having regained her equilibrium, she once again demonstrated her skill, asking questions that Diego would have asked himself, gently pressing Nicky for more details concerning the accident, filing away the information to be considered later.

Nicky had been giving his sister, Trixie, a ride to meet her boyfriend, Chad Golden. On the way, she had shared some details about Chad's mistreatment of her, enough to make her brother see red upon rounding a corner and spotting Chad on a straight stretch of road which led to the park where they were supposed to be meeting. _Before I know it, my foot goes down and I'm charging towards him but he rolls out of the way_. When describing what happened and in particular how Chad had simply been standing on the spot, Nicky had looked as if he wanted to spit with disdain. _I crashed the car into somebody's yard, went right through one of those shitty little fences and hit a tree. Trixie was hurt, so I hopped out and pulled her out of the car. But I would do it again, man. Properly, though. Over and over so he wouldn't be able to get up, the stupid sh—_

Eventually, their meeting drew to a close. Nicky hadn't been as forthcoming with information as Diego would have liked, his statements constantly circling around his responsibility for the other boy's injuries, but he did help to flesh out a few details thanks to Mia's patience.

"Are we going to see his father now?" Mia asked as they left the Detention Centre.

"Is that what you would do, Ms Fey?"

She thought for a moment. "Yes, and if possible, speak to the sister as well."

Pleased, Diego nodded. "My thoughts exactly."

* * *

Meeting Mr Kerr had been a trying experience; no wonder Grossberg had been so flustered this morning. Diego could feel a headache coming on. Looking at Mia sitting next to him in the back of the taxi, he could see that she felt the same way. She sat with her head back and her eyes closed, her satchel thrown casually on the seat between them.

"Let's stop for a break, Ms Fey," Diego said, rubbing his forehead.

She nodded without opening her eyes.

A short time later and they were seated in a booth at a diner with burgers, fries and milkshakes, Diego having decided to forego coffee for once. When the waitress smiled at him after delivering their food, he barely noticed, preoccupied with slathering ketchup over his fries. Meanwhile, Mia picked at her own food, flicking a quick glance at the waitress before switching to examine her milkshake.

"Aren't you eating, Ms Fey? You can't continue investigating on an empty stomach."

Obediently, she started to munch on her fries. "I just remembered that it's my sister who has a thing for burgers, not me. I should have just ordered a sandwich." She took a sip of her strawberry milkshake. "I like the milkshake, though." She looked rather innocent sipping away at the pink liquid. She dabbed away some milk from the corner of her mouth, which made Diego smile thinking of the froth on her nose from earlier. "But… apart from that, well, I'm just thinking. Trying to… process everything."

"It's a lot to think about, I know." Diego brushed flecks of salt from his vest. Unfortunately the black material showed the white grains, but if he was clumsy enough to spill ketchup on it at least the red wouldn't show.

"Are… all cases like this?" Mia frowned slightly as she asked the question.

"Full of crazy clients?" Diego smiled wryly. "Consider the city we live in, Ms Fey. But honestly, there are ups and downs. You could go for a month or more without seeing a courtroom, or you could be in court every day for a month. Caseloads vary, and sometimes they don't go to court, and sometimes they're dull and straightforward." The burger was standard diner fare, but at this moment it was rather satisfying. "Enjoy the big cases when you get them. It's always fun to have a challenge."

"Dealing with Mr Kerr was a challenge. Not what I would call fun, though."

Mr Kerr had been understandably quite worked up by the whole matter, pacing back and forth anxiously while his wife and daughter sat to one side. _I want a full acquittal, Mr Armando! _he demanded, even though Diego tried his best to point out that they had to be prepared for the worst. _If Nicky doesn't walk free, what do you think that's going to do to me and the business? What do you think it's going to do to his mother, or his sister?_

Trixie Kerr was shorter than her brother, although still very thin, all waif-like figure and pointed features. Her mousey brown hair was tied back with ribbon to keep it away from the dressing on one side of her forehead. While working with Mia to assure Mr Kerr of their competence, Diego watched Trixie out of the corner of his eye. She had wrung her hands worriedly whenever her brother was mentioned.

With Mr Kerr completely dominating the conversation and the household, Diego and Mia had been unable to speak to Trixie. _What do you want to talk to her for? She's not the one in trouble! She was knocked unconscious when the car_ _crashed!_

When Diego had looked at Trixie to confirm, she had nodded and looked like she was on the verge of tears. The few words she had said were softly spoken, revolving around how she didn't remember much of what her brother had said in the car, and how she had seen the Golden boy but didn't remember anything clearly after that. She rubbed her forehead a little while she spoke in halting tones, her mother gently cajoling her. _The doctors told you not to touch it, dearest_.

"You did well in there though," Diego continued. Whenever Mr Kerr had been on the very verge of losing his temper and begun squaring off against Diego, Mia had stepped in with her placating tones. Diego had been grateful for her help; previously he had either been co-counsel himself or worked alone, so it was nice to have the support, and also a pleasure to watch her work, unintimidated by Mr Kerr.

"I was just thinking that Nicky at least gave us an outline of what happened, but Mr Kerr didn't have anything to say." Mia sipped at her milkshake some more as her burger sat untouched. "If we had been allowed to talk to Trixie properly, it would have been better."

"I agree, she would have been much more interesting to talk to." At this, Mia gave him a look but Diego carried on unfazed, although he wasn't sure what he thought of the expression that had crossed her face for a brief moment. "All we gathered was that she either doesn't remember, or doesn't want to talk. Also that the blood on her brother's shirt probably came from her."

"Her forehead? Oh yes, he was bruised, not cut anywhere." Mia finished her milkshake and looked down at it rather disappointedly.

Without hesitation, Diego slid his own untouched milkshake over to her. She accepted it with a grateful smile. "Well, I would still like to talk to her. There are gaps that only she can fill in. Her father wouldn't let us talk to her about her relationship with the Golden boy." Diego gestured across the diner at the waitress, asking for a soda when she was within earshot. She winked at him before going to fetch the drink. Diego didn't turn again, although Mia's eyes followed the waitress behind the counter.

She frowned as something suddenly occurred to her. "How are you going to talk to her? You can't get past her father."

"I'll call her in court. If there's a truth there, I'll drag it out of her on the stand."

Mia blinked in surprise. "What if her testimony harms your case? Also, her father doesn't want her involved."

"First of all," Diego said as the waitress brought over his drink, "she's involved whether she likes it or not. Never mind her father, _she was in the car_, Ms Fey. It was _her boyfriend_ who was hit by _her brother_. Secondly, her testimony is a step towards finding out the truth. I'm not interested in winning a case if it's done through a lie. But if I don't win, then so be it. At least I've fought my hardest to find out what really happened." He wiped his hands and mouth rather forcefully with the provided paper napkins, lost for a moment in thinking of the last time he and Hammond had worked a case together and argued about this very issue. _Just strike a deal, Diego. Doesn't matter; you're not getting paid to find out everything._

He shook his head at the memory but then realized that Mia was _staring_. All of her attention was fixed on him; her eyes were wide and her mouth was open slightly in disbelief. _Dammit, I shouldn't have said anything_. Diego met her stare with an expectant one of his own. "Did you want to say something, Ms Fey?" He tried to sound polite instead of guarded, but failed.

"No, I…" Mia snapped her mouth shut. "I… just… I've never heard anyone say anything like that before."

Diego smirked self-deprecatingly to cover his embarrassment.

"It was wonderful." It was then that Diego realized that her look had been one of admiration rather than horror. "Also... I… think I feel the same way."

It was Diego's turn to stare at her open-mouthed until he realized that it was impolite. Her smile was slight, but a little determined and he found that he had nothing to say, lost in how she had been affected by his words, and how she had confessed to having the same point of view. He felt a wave of happiness and even pride tickle at his emotions, knowing that it wasn't often that one came across a lawyer in this caliber of firm that had the same opinion.

"I still want to win though," she finished quietly with a grin.

At that, Diego laughed and the atmosphere returned to normal. "Well, let's try our best to do that, Ms Fey." As he reached for his soda, he saw that the waitress had left behind a scrap of paper. It had a phone number on it. Quickly, he grabbed it and scrunched it into a small ball, hoping that Mia hadn't seen, even though he knew that she was so observant she probably had.

"I'll pay for lunch," she said suddenly, reaching for her satchel, bowing her head as she did so, her bangs falling across her eyes. "Are we going to the crime scene now?"

For a few heartbeats, he mourned a moment that had been spoiled by something so ridiculous. "Yes." Somewhat disappointed at how Mia was taking so long to dig out some money - was she avoiding his eyes? - Diego sighed to himself and looked out of the window, thinking that it was probably better he said nothing.

He could see Mia's reflection looking at him, her mouth poised to say something before she closed it again. She turned and looked absently at the table before her eyes fell on the small ball of paper, which had landed on Diego's plate in a puddle of ketchup. Something about it amused her, the corner of her mouth lifting in a slight smile. "Let's go, Sir," she said, rising to her feet.

As they left the diner together, she appeared pleased about something, and Diego was determined to interpret it as the usual enjoyment she took in working, highlighted by her first real visit to a crime scene. He didn't dare to see her smiles and the merriment behind her eyes as anything else.

* * *

The day was drawing to a close. Having spent the remainder of the day working on case files, Diego was now lying on the sofa, legs stretched out over the arm, hands behind his head, eyes closed. Mia meanwhile was seated in his office chair, leaning back in it, staring at the ceiling as if it could give her the answers.

They had been reviewing the case together, Diego pleased that a lot of Mia's thoughts had mirrored his own, and how she had been paying keen attention to the investigation so far. Scattered across the desk was the evidence of their afternoon spent working closely together: notes, files, statements and photographs littered the surface. Every now and then, as they had sat at the desk working, their hands had touched as they reached for the same pen, or the same piece of paper. Every time it happened, Mia would smile a little, brush her hair behind her ears and resume working as normal. Diego would look up briefly but return his eyes to whatever was in front of him, his neutral expression hiding how keenly aware he was of the softness of her hands, and her warmth.

"There are a few things bothering me about this in general," Diego said, feeling the thread of a thought dancing just out of his reach. "I guess Nicky would want to confess if there's no way he could get out of it..."

"Maybe. What bothers me is that we won't see the report on the car until tomorrow." Mia let out a huff of frustration. "How are we expected to make a case if we don't have all of the information?"

Despite himself, Diego smiled, picturing her furrowed brow and unwitting pout. "Three days, Ms Fey. They just want a quick turnaround. It's annoying, but unfortunately it's what we have to work with. We'll just have to roll with it in court tomorrow."

"So what do we do now?"

There was a short knock on the half-open door and someone entered. By the footfall, Diego guessed it was Hammond and was proven right when he spoke. "Looks like your next step, according to Diego, Ms Fey, is to grab an afternoon nap."

"Relax, Ms Fey," Diego said, still keeping his eyes closed and hearing the rustle that indicated Mia was trying to scramble to her feet. Another shuffle told him she remained sitting down, but no longer casually leaning back, instead sitting upright. "Robert has just come in to snoop."

"You mean, 'Robert has just come in to be friendly and see how we are'", Hammond corrected him, walking over to the sofa. Diego felt the sharp tap of the corner of a document folder on his forehead. "Told you that the sofa encourages laziness."

With a grumble, Diego swung himself into a sitting position and looked at Hammond with a frown. Typical of Hammond to always waltz in and spoil things; he had been enjoying going over the case with Mia and seeing how similar their thoughts had been. "I'm not being lazy; we've been investigating all day."

Hammond smiled mischievously, tapping Diego's hair with the document folder, his smile widening when Diego's hand instinctively flew upwards to fix the damage. "Ah yes, I heard about that. Sounds like a straightforward case to me. An unfortunate one, but straightforward nonetheless."

"That's because you're a simple man."

"One with few worries. Don't tell me you haven't even tried to strike a bargain?"

"The father wants a full acquittal."

"The father sounds like a fool." Hammond sighed and turned to Mia, who looked uncertain of how to react to their quick exchange. "How are you finding working with Diego, Ms Fey?" he asked.

At being addressed, Mia jumped slightly. "I'm enjoying it so far, Mr Hammond."

"Good. Don't let him ride you too hard." Diego nearly shot Hammond a look, but as Hammond continued speaking, began to wonder whether it was just his own sensitivity over an unfortunate turn of phrase. "If he comes in early and stays late, doesn't mean you have to."

"I know, Sir," Mia said, fixing her eyes on Hammond as she spoke, "but I find that spending time with Mr Armando is much more useful than worrying about working hours."

Hammond looked between the two of them for a moment. Diego scratched the back of his head nonchalantly while Mia continued to look at Hammond for further comment. It seemed that he had none, since he simply nodded and turned to leave the office.

"Well, I'll leave you two alone, then." He waved his folder at Diego in farewell. "Remember though Ms Fey, that you should take the opportunity to spend time with some of the other lawyers at this firm. Diego may be your mentor, but he offers only a single perspective. I'm sure he would see the benefit in allowing you to see others in court, for example."

"Thank you Sir," Mia said, "I'm sure Mr Armando will take your suggestion on board."

"Hmm." Hammond gave Diego a look. Diego thought it was better if he didn't respond. "Well that's good. I'll see you two, then." He left, closing the door behind him with a thud.

"He has a point," Diego said, trying to fill the silence that followed. "Maybe you're not getting the most of things by sticking with me all the time."

Mia cast him a look. "I thought that was the point of shadowing you," she said somewhat archly.

Diego shrugged defensively. "I just want to give you options, Ms Fey. What kind of mentor would I be if I didn't give you these opportunities instead of keeping you to myself?"

She was silent at that, but Diego could see the characteristic signs of her pondering. "Mentor, yes," she said finally. "I suppose you wouldn't be a very good mentor." He could see that she still wanted to say something, so he waited expectantly for her to translate the thought into speech.

"Sir, I... I meant what I said before. I enjoy spending time with you, and I learn a lot when I'm with you. If you don't want me to be here in your office all the time, then—"

He frowned, wondering where this was coming from. "Ms Fey," he began, attempting to interrupt but failing as Mia continued to speak.

"—all you need to do is say, but I thought that I was being useful to you, and if it's all the same, I'd rather—"

"Mia!" Diego cut in suddenly and the surprise at hearing her name made her pause. "I'm not trying to pass the buck. You've been doing fantastic work; don't look at this as a comment on your own abilities."

"I'm not, I just—"

"Just what?" At seeing her so tangled up in her own thoughts and words, not knowing what she was thinking or how he could help, Diego leaned forward from where he was sitting, longing to bridge the physical gap between them. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said immediately. "I just... Want to stay with you, that's all."

"It wouldn't be a permanent arrangement. He only meant standing beside him, Grossberg, Harrison or even Brookes for one session in court, just to see how they work. You'll still be... Mine, for the rest of the month that I'm your mentor."

"Yours," she said softly, an emotion brushing at the edges of her inscrutable expression.

"Yes, as long as you wish it," Diego replied quietly. He struggled for something professional to say, but she was staring at him so intently that he found his mind going blank. Ms Mia Fey, not only a master poker player but a mentalist. _What is this? What is she doing? What am I doing?_

They averted their gazes at the same moment.

"It's time to go home," Diego observed, his eyes having fallen on the clock. "You should go, Ms Fey."

"Are you leaving?"

_She'll stay if I stay_. Along with the realization, Hammond's words came back to him. "Yes, I'm leaving. There's nothing we can do until court tomorrow."

"Oh." She looked a little disappointed but started to gather her things. "Of course."

A short while later, they left the office together, crossing paths with Hammond in the reception area. He nodded to Mia and gave Diego a certain look, Diego responding with a dismissive wave. In the elevator, Diego was keenly aware of how enclosed the space was, Mia's height in proportion to his own and how long it was taking for them to travel to the ground floor.

Outside the building, they said goodnight to each other and parted, walking in opposite directions. As he crossed the street and looked back, he caught Mia turning her head having just done the same, the tail of her scarf trailing behind her as she rounded the corner towards the train station.

* * *

That night, Diego tried to do some work, he really did, but his attempts to focus on the important case tomorrow turned instead into cross-examinations of every word and gesture of Mia's that day. It didn't help that the folder with the case files in it was peppered with her notes: her neat script covered an interview sheet, her gentle sweep of red pen marked out the map showing the crime scene, her highlighter picked out important sentences in witness statements. Each thing carried with it the dent in her finger from where she gripped her writing instruments, the little crease in her forehead when she furrowed her brow while thinking, the adorable way she nibbled on her lip when she was concentrating.

Giving up on work, Diego made dinner like some kind of automaton, daydreaming about sharing a milkshake with Mia, or kissing milk froth from her nose, or brushing a stray grain of salt from the corner of her mouth with a thumb as his hand caressed her cheek.

It was no longer a question of _why_ he was so preoccupied with Mia Fey, he mused as the evening ended and bedtime arrived. The question now was what on earth he was going to do about it.

_Nothing_, he thought. The light caught his vest where he had discarded it on the floor, and a suspicious dark patch on the front that was probably ketchup. _I shouldn't do anything about it. What did I just say this morning?_

He lay awake all night.


	5. Chapter 5

Betaed again by the ever-helpful dioscureantwins. I'm grateful for her keen eye and useful feedback. Thanks to pinksonia for the help with Americanizing this chapter. All remaining mistakes are mine.

This fic is being cross-posted to AO3 should you wish to read it there instead. Thank you for taking the time to read this story and I hope you enjoy it! Next update at the beginning of December.

* * *

"_Ambivalence is a wonderful tune to dance to. It has a rhythm all its own_." - Erica Jong

* * *

The courtroom was humming with chatter as seated spectators waited for proceedings to start. On one side of the courtroom, Winston Payne stood with his hands behind his back, surveying the scene through his oversized glasses. Nicky Kerr was seated with a bailiff beside him while his family sat with the rest of the spectators, his mother and sister looking extremely worried while his father was seated upright, arms folded stiffly.

Diego stood behind the defense desk, one hand flicking idly through a folder, the other wrapped around a cup of coffee. Mia stood beside him as co-counsel, brown eyes looking towards the door where the judge would make his entrance.

"Are you ready for this, Ms Fey?" Diego asked, scanning the information in the file in front of him.

"No," she said. "Um, I mean, yes," she corrected herself quickly. "Yes, Sir."

Diego chuckled, setting down his coffee cup down to turn and face her. "You're not supposed to be the one worrying. What did I say to you last time we were here?"

"Huh?" She looked at him with confusion. "I... You said a lot of things, Sir."

"I said something about there being a fierce kitten on this side of the room."

"Oh. Right. I remember now. I don't feel like I have claws right now."

"You better find them," Diego said with a grin, nodding towards Winston Payne. "If you can't bring them out when faced with this guy, then I'm afraid you should resign yourself to being petted and treated like a rookie forever."

Sensing that they were talking about him, Payne frowned in their direction. Diego raised his cup towards him in a salute.

"Right," said Mia. "Kitten. I'm not a rookie; I'm a kitten with claws." She was murmuring it to herself like a mantra as the judge entered.

* * *

"Well that went well," Mia said dryly as Nicky was escorted from the stand.

"It went as I thought it would." Dismayed to see there was no more coffee in his mug, Diego set the cup down to one side. "He hasn't changed his statement since yesterday, and he wasn't ever likely to. For him, it's a matter of honor. The girl is his sister."

"Yes, but he didn't have to start swearing at the guy from across the room." Mia was looking towards Chad Golden, blonde-haired, fair-faced and athletic, sitting in the spectator stands, a satisfied smile hovering around his lips.

The cross-examination had yielded no new facts, but had only proven Nicky's solid motive, and been an opportunity for Nicky to publically declare his guilt again. Of course, Payne had jumped on this, his smug chuckles floating around the room, settling over everything like a thick layer of stifling damp fog.

* * *

Diego's cross-examination of one of the officers present at the scene had clarified some of the questions that had been floating in his mind since yesterday. The officer left the stand rather confused, not understanding Diego's insistence on knowing whether there was blood in the car, or the point he had made about twin unidentified marks in the grass, a short distance away from the driver's seat.

"What are you doing, Sir?" Mia asked, touching Diego's arm lightly to catch his attention.

"I think I'm starting to understand the truth behind this case," Diego murmured. Payne was wheezing and breezing his way through another pompous speech about Nicky's certain guilt and the general incompetence of his defense team. "This is the right time to call Trixie to the stand."

Mia instinctively turned to look at the girl seated with her parents. "Are you sure?" Her voice was filled with sympathy for the girl.

Diego nodded, preparing himself. He had a good idea of what was going to happen once Trixie testified.

* * *

"No!" Nicky erupted from his seat with a cry. "Trixie, no! Don't say anything! It was me, dammit! I said it was me!"

"Mr Kerr!" the judge boomed, "sit down before I have you removed from this courtroom!"

It was no use. In a matter of minutes Nicky was forced from the room by two bailiffs, his screams and shouts of protest carrying down the hall as he was taken away.

On the stand, Trixie was trembling uncontrollably, alternating between chewing her nails and brushing her hair away from the dressing on her forehead.

"Trixie." Diego appealed to her, leaning across the desk. "Trixie, I know this is very difficult for you but you must pay attention. For the sake of your brother who we both know is innocent. Your testimony didn't make sense; there were gaps that didn't quite match with Nicky's, and couldn't be attributed to your brief loss of consciousness. The evidence points towards you: luminol will show blood on the steering wheel which we can then identify as yours, the marks in the grass are from your shoes and the seat isn't in quite the right position for your brother, who is taller than you."

Trixie gulped and her eyes started to fill with tears. Diego saw Mia clench her fists in sympathy for the girl but he had to continue. There was no going back now.

"Why are you doing this?" Her voice wavered as she spoke. "Aren't you supposed to be on our side?"

"Trixie, listen to me." Diego tried his best to speak with calm authority. "If you don't tell me what happened, I can't help you." As Trixie raised her head to look at him, Diego threw out a last word. "Please."

She looked at him, studying his expression and finally realizing that there was nothing left she could do. Her shoulders slumped slightly as her tears started to flow, streaking her pale, doll-like cheeks and cascading onto the stand. "I... I saw him." Trixie closed her eyes to ward herself against the pain of remembering. "When I thought about everything he had said, everything he had done, I-I..." She covered her face with her hands in shame. "He was on that street. I put my foot down and before I knew it, we were going so fast and Nicky was shouting and I couldn't think— It just — I froze up and just started stamping and then I must have fainted... because the next thing I knew, Nicky was sitting next to me and he was telling me that he was driving the car, and when the police came he shouted it so loudly that they arrested him and not me." Her words were tumbling out amid her sobbing. The court had fallen silent, and next to Diego, Mia was tense. "I... I don't know if I tried to hit him, everything was a blur, but maybe I did try... Maybe I did. I know that I got so mad... it was me. It was me!" Her last sentence ended with a strangled cry before she dissolved into a heap of distress on the stand, shoulders shaking uncontrollably, head bowed, hair falling forward to hide her from the crowd bearing witness to her confession.

There were no other sounds than the hushed breathing of everyone present, punctuated by Trixie's broken gulps and whimpers.

* * *

When Diego stepped out of the courtroom, he deftly avoided Mr Kerr, coolly walking away with Mia in tow, Mr Kerr's furious shouts following them as they went, choked as he was restrained by bailiffs.

"You son of a bitch! You were supposed to get my son acquitted, not my daughter accused of murder!" Diego ignored him – he only had a thirty minute recess and Mr Kerr's anger was insignificant. "I'll have your badge for this! You hear me?"

Once in a lobby, Diego went to the table at the side and spread out all of the available information, scanning quickly over it with a keen eye, trying to find evidence for the thought that had been confirmed by Trixie's testimony. Next to him, Mia sat fidgeting, her hands flying to her scarf, her necklace and her hair, adjusting them all only to adjust them again. It was obvious she was fighting the urge to speak to him, to bury him under a great gulf of questions, managing to keep silent through sheer willpower. Diego would have admired her for it, if he hadn't been trying to concentrate on the case.

"Be still, Ms Fey. You're breaking my concentration."

"How can you even concentrate?" she blurted out. "How can you even focus with what just happened?"

"If I don't focus, then everything is over."

"It's already over, isn't it?" Mia turned away and walked to the other side of the room, her face hidden from him but the distress apparent in her shaky tone of voice. "Nicky will walk free, but Trixie will go to jail." She raised her hands to her head almost as if to try and hold back the horrible thoughts she was having. "Oh god, it's because of— I wanted Nicky to be acquitted, but not like this! Not like this—!"

Diego turned away immediately from the court record and went straight to Mia. Without thinking, he reached for her shoulder with one hand. "Mia," he said gently, but firmly, causing her to start and swivel around to gaze at him.

Her lovely eyes were full of worry. It was painful to see. For a moment Diego felt hurt by her doubt. The feeling was quickly replaced by sincere appreciation. Her care for their clients was immensely gratifying.

"Mia," he said again, "uhmm, I mean Ms Fey. Listen to me." His hand on her shoulder was the closest he could come to giving her his strength and confidence without crossing too far over the line. "It looks bad, I know it does, but it's _not_ over."

"Isn't it?" She raised a hand to her mouth as if to stifle a sob.

_Oh, Mia..._ He crouched a little so that he could look straight into her eyes, his hand felt her thin shoulder trembling a little. "No, it's not over." When she still didn't look convinced, he reached for something to help her understand. Her eyes were swirling depths of incomprehension, and when she sniffed to prevent her tears from welling up, he could almost imagine a spot of milk froth on her nose. The inspiration came to him and finally he spoke. "Sometimes the truth is dark and bitter, like coffee, but if you choose to drink it you might as well finish the whole cup."

"I... I don't understand."

"You keep going; you keep drinking until the very end."

"I'm not sure your coffee metaphor is—"

"Mia, we're not finished." He smiled at her encouragingly, wanting to share the thought that had occurred to him in the courtroom, the thought that he now had to brew into something before they went back in. "Did you hear what Trixie said in there? We're not at the bottom of the cup yet." With a grin, Diego took her by the arm and led her over to the table with the papers spread all over it, reaching for the map. "It wasn't until Trixie's testimony that something really clicked. This road is a straight line that leads right to the park, which has that body of water in the middle of it. Chad was waiting at least a block away from their meeting place – what for?"

As Mia studied the map, Diego watched with satisfaction as the pieces started to fall into place, knowing that she was reaching the same conclusion. "No... Trixie said…"

"Yes. Trixie isn't a new driver, her movements should be instinctive. What if she was so caught up in her panic that she didn't even realize her brakes weren't working properly? What if she was supposed to fly down this road and…? We don't have much time, I know. But if we turn the case around - don't look for evidence as to whether the car was tampered with; assume it was and look for who and why. Show that in court and it'll be enough to save Trixie, I guarantee it."

Mia gaped for a moment, floored by the thought that something that only a moment ago looked so dark could suddenly seem so bright and full of hope. "You..." With a cry, she threw herself at Diego, wrapping her arms around his neck. Diego absorbed the force of her impact with surprise before he wrapped his arms around her, returning the embrace, struggling not to relish the feel of her body against his, fighting the urge to kiss her hair and trail to her mouth. He didn't have time to though; just as quickly as she had grabbed him, she released him.

Her smile was radiant. "Diego, you're..." She reached for a word. "...Amazing."

Diego blinked. He felt as if he was the one who had been hit by the car, and now he was lying on the floor, recovering from the impact, trying to get rid of the stars in his eyes.

With difficulty, he returned his attention to the documents, Mia leaping to assist. For the remainder of the precious recess time, they talked through their thoughts and prepared for the upcoming cross-examination, Diego bathing in the glow of Mia's sunny smiles, more determined than ever to win the case.

* * *

Chad Golden was trying very hard not to show his anger, but he was failing. His perfect face was tinged with red, his previously confident smile was quickly turning into a clenched jaw and where his hands had been resting loosely on the stand, they were now balled into fists at his side.

_Just a little more._ Diego studied Chad's face carefully, knowing that he was close to snapping. Everyone in the room was looking at the Golden boy in a new light, his ugly hatred of Trixie, his own clear motive for a plan and the method for its execution having become clear over the course of Diego's cross-examination. On the prosecution side, Payne was shifting uncomfortably, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to raise an objection only to find that he couldn't.

_Now to finish drinking the cup._ "I hope your 'friends' stand up better to cross-examination than you do, Mr Golden," Diego said finally.

There was a silence during which Chad Golden's bubbling fury was almost audible.

"That useless little bitch!" he exploded. "Trying to control me! You don't tell Chad Golden what to do! So of course she had to pay! If her dumbass brother hadn't been there—"

As Chad continued to rant and rave, Diego turned to Mia to see that her grin matched his own. They smiled at each other again when Chad was taken away, and once more when the Judge declared Nicky 'not guilty'.

* * *

Mia and Diego exited the elevator, still high as kites over their win, both smiling and laughing as they turned into the courthouse's entrance hall, running into Grossberg.

"Diego, my boy!" He huffed as he grabbed their hands for a firm shake. "Excellent verdict, simply excellent. Wonderful work, you two. I imagine Mr Kerr is over the moon – imagine him recommending us to his friends! It'll be very good for the business."

"Thank you, Sir." Diego said, and Mia bowed to Grossberg humbly.

He beamed at them both. "You're not heading back to the office now, are you? There's no point, not at this hour! It'd take you long enough to get through the traffic. Besides, you've both worked very hard. No, no, I insist, you must go to Langdale's and reflect on your success."

"Sir—"

"No arguing, my boy." When Grossberg raised a hand, Diego shrugged in acceptance and looked at Mia with a smile. "Now have fun. You deserve it." He checked his heavy golden watch and frowned as he realized the time.

When Grossberg was gone, in response to Mia's questioning look, Diego explained. "Langdale's is a bar near here, frequented by legal types."

"Oh. Well, if it's an order from Mr Grossberg… maybe we should go?" Mia smiled shyly.

"I suppose. We do have something to celebrate, after all," he said, smiling back.

* * *

Langdale's was just off the main street. A large window fronted it, providing a view of the interior with the name of the place written on the glass in gold lettering, a neat wooden door to one side serving as the entrance. Opposite the bar were smaller tables with sturdy wooden chairs accompanying them; further in the back of the room were booths with seats lined with practical but attractive red patterned fabric, to complement Langdale's wood paneled, red wallpapered interior. The place was accented with golden uplights set into the wall, and photographs of famous buildings in dark wooden frames peppered the walls. Langdale's served lunch and dinner and inside, a few people were talking business over soup and sandwiches; a few tables featured a suited attorney flicking through documents over a coffee. As Diego led Mia to a free booth, he nodded to one or two people he recognized, who raised hands in acknowledgement.

"You'll run into a lot of people here," he said as they sat opposite each other, Mia bouncing experimentally on the seat but quickly restraining herself. "Everyone comes here, it's neutral ground. The food is simple, but it's good." He handed Mia a menu. "What can I get you?"

"Oh, are you...?"

"No, I'm billing it to Grossberg. He did say to have fun." Diego winked at her and she laughed.

* * *

Dinner was delicious, thanks to their victory, and the steady stream of enjoyable conversation. Diego was glad to see Mia in a good mood, relaxed as she sat in the booth opposite him, cheerful as they exchanged stories. She was particularly amused by his tales of his early days at the firm.

"So," Diego said, setting down his fork as he finished his meal, "this rookie cop runs up to Robert when we arrive at the crime scene, gives him a salute and starts to tell him all of the details. Robert stood there, nodded and later we just slipped away." He laughed at the memory and was pleased when Mia laughed also, imagining the scene. "I hate to think what the poor guy had to go through when the real detective arrived. He was called to the stand the next day, and when he saw Robert on the defense side... His face was priceless."

Shaking her head, Mia delicately patted at her mouth with a napkin. "Well, I suppose Mr Hammond does look a bit like a detective. All of those shades of blue and grey."

"See, some attorneys like subdued colors. Me, I prefer red. Much more striking."

"It does suit you," she agreed, nodding politely to the member of staff who took away their plates. "I did like that dark vest yesterday though."

"Yeah? Well, I have told you how much I like your dress." Diego took a sip of his drink. "It suits you very well."

"Thank you." Mia smiled somewhat shyly. "I did worry that it might be a little too revealing, but..."

"You wear it well." Diego smiled. "You have a lovely figure, Mia, you should be proud." The moment he finished speaking, he hesitated and turned away.

"You think so?"

The tone of her voice coaxed him into looking in her direction. She wasn't uncomfortable at all, in fact she was smiling.

He simply nodded.

Her smile turned into a grin. "I guess for that, I should buy you a drink. What are you having?"

* * *

"Are you really billing this to Grossberg?" Mia asked, studying her wine glass, swirling the liquid around experimentally.

"I was only joking, Mia." Diego was enjoying dropping her name from his lips, hearing her roll his own off her tongue in return. She made his name sound like a melody, the way she was saying it tonight with a smile every time. "But if you're worried about work tomorrow, we don't have to stay for much longer."

At that, she raised an eyebrow. "Are you not enjoying my company, Diego?" She pretended to be offended, pressing one hand to her chest as if wounded although her eyes were full of merriment.

"I'm enjoying your company very much," he said, pleasantly surprised by her relaxed and happy mood. "I don't want to be accused of corrupting the rookie, though."

She shook her head. "Don't worry, I'm a big girl. Let's stay at least a little longer. It's nice in here."

* * *

As he had another glass, he was aware of how close their legs were underneath the table, enough that every time they shifted position; inevitably they would brush against each other. It was also becoming increasingly difficult to check himself as he looked at her, and slowly he became certain that she was having the same difficulty. When he casually loosened his tie and undid his two top buttons, he noticed her eyes following the deft movements of his fingers before she averted them to smile into her glass.

* * *

"You know," Diego said, "you should play just as hard as you work. It's one of my rules." He was feeling comfortably warm, even though the glass of whiskey and ice in his hand was cool.

"You have a lot of rules." Mia sipped at her straw, swirling it around in her drink, lemonade with some kind of alcohol. Diego didn't know. How many drinks had they had?

_You have no idea about the ones that involve restraining myself around you._ It was becoming easier and easier to imagine leaning across the table and planting his mouth on hers, and with each time he thought about it, the Mia in his thoughts was more and more likely to respond in kind. He gave a non-committal shrug and took a sip, feeling the alcohol kiss his throat on the way down.

"Rules are meant to be bent and broken, aren't they?" Mia continued, her pretty mouth taking on an attractive, mischievous slant. "Do you have a rule about not following rules?"

"Objection," Diego said smoothly, tapping his glass on the table.

She laughed, setting her own glass down. "Overruled."

"You can't overrule that objection, it was perfectly sustainable."

"Is that a rule?" She asked playfully, leaning across the table towards him.

Diego leaned forward also, closing the distance between them, unsure whether he cursed or praised the table between them which kept their faces a palm's width apart. If he were to stand, even briefly, he could reach across that tiny bit more, to find out what that beautiful mouth of hers tasted like.

"No, Mia," he said, studying her long, fluttering lashes that framed inviting brown eyes. "It's logic."

"Sounds like a trick to me," she said softly. Something was hovering under the surface of her words, and a smile curled at the corner of her lip.

* * *

Langdale's was fairly busy even at this late hour, conversations humming along gently around them. There were groups of people loudly talking, and more intimate pairings like them, leaning over tables and exchanging whispered words.

They were talking about magic and sleight of hand after Diego had shared the story of a magician who had come to the firm when being sued for theft of intellectual property. "Do you doubt my skills, Mia?" He pulled up his shirt sleeves briefly to show her he had nothing to hide, giving her a wink as he did so. She watched carefully, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"I know you're very… skilled, Diego." In the golden light of Langdale's she looked almost radiant, the alcohol lending a faint blossom of pink to her cheeks.

"You haven't seen everything I can do." He reached across the table, brushing aside her hair to reach behind her ear, the strands whispering against his fingers, her earrings glinting in the light. He lingered perhaps a little longer than was necessary before he revealed the quarter that had magically appeared in his hand.

She laughed merrily. "You haven't seen _my_ skills yet." She too reached forward, skimming fingers through the side of his hair, briefly tickling behind his ear. Diego closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, she was proudly showing him the quarter she had pulled from behind his ear.

"No I suppose I haven't." He touched his ear self-consciously. "I look forward to you showing me some more of your skills."

Smiling vaguely, she set her coin on top of Diego's, where he had placed it on the table between them. "Yes, well I hope I have the opportunity soon." He watched her reach for her glass and finish the last few drops, her throat moving as she drank, her eyes steadily meeting his over the rim of her glass.

* * *

They left the bar laughing, Mia holding loosely onto Diego's arm. The door tinkled shut behind them and they felt the cool air envelop their heated faces. Diego opened the door of the waiting taxi, Mia slipping inside gracefully, Diego taking his place in the backseat next to her.

"That was fun," she said happily as the car started to move. "Thank you."

"Thank _you_," Diego said.

"You're welcome."

"No, _you're_ welcome."

They both laughed again, tapering off into a mutual sigh as they settled into their seats. The silence that followed was comfortable, the taxi whispering along as it slipped onto the main street to join the chorus of city traffic.

When Mia shifted, Diego turned without thinking to make sure he wasn't in the way, catching her adjusting her dress. He watched her slide one hand down her leg to smooth the material, the movement of her fingers to the top of her legs drawing his eye, pulling him with them as she shifted to sit more comfortably, showing for a brief second the curve of her shapely behind. When she adjusted her belt, her fingers pointed the way towards her slender stomach; when she fixed the front of her dress she directed his gaze towards her breasts, rising and falling with the rhythm of her breathing. Streetlights flickering past threw a spotlight on her necklace, the point of its unusual shape in line with her zipper. More city lights kissed the line of metal, right to where the end of it sparkled at the apex of her thighs.

It had been no more than a few heartbeats, but it felt like an eternity. When Mia turned to look at him inquiringly, he had no time to avert his gaze. Caught, he paused.

She said nothing, and stayed where she was, blinking slowly, meeting his eyes.

He watched her look swing languidly from his own, down to his neck where his tie hung in a vague knot underneath loose buttons, down to his stomach and waist, where his vest rested in loose folds, exposing the red shirt tucked neatly into dark belted pants. He felt as if he was being examined carefully, studied and evaluated, the results apparently positive judging by the way her eyes lingered on him.

He reached for her hand where it rested on the seat between them. Lights from the city continued to penetrate the darkness of the car in waves as they moved, illuminating the moment when she met him halfway, intertwining their fingers. When the car slowed to stop at a set of lights, Diego felt Mia moving her head towards his shoulder. In return, he rested his cheek on the top of her head. The lights changed and the car started to move again.

As they turned a corner, Mia leaned in to him a little. Diego shifted, letting of her hand briefly and she sat up with a panicked question in her eyes before seeing that he had stretched one arm out behind her. She settled against him with a pleased expression, curling her body to his, putting one leg half-over his knee, almost lazily. Diego wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer and she acquiesced with a sigh. She fitted with him perfectly, the way she curved so exquisitely against his body almost a marvel, second only to the warmth radiating from her.

At the next set of stoplights, she raised her head. Diego looked at her and saw the question in her eyes that was a reflection of his own. With his free hand, he moved to stroke her hair away from her face, tucking the strands carefully behind her ear. With one thumb, he brushed the side of her face, her cheek delicate and glowing in the half-light. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she was, but he couldn't speak, not when she was looking at him like that, eyes wide and almost hopeful.

He could smell the faint scents of strawberry from her hair, and the alcohol they had been drinking that evening. She closed her eyes briefly, and he could tell that she was breathing him in, perhaps doing the same thing that he was, memorizing every detail of this moment. When she opened her eyes again and looked at him, tipping her face towards his so that their noses were touching, he felt as if he was on a precipice, hovering on the edge, just waiting to topple and fall and drown himself in her. She was unbelievably close, filling all of his vision, taking up all of his senses. Her warmth, her softness, the way she had one hand creeping from his shoulder down to his arm, the way they were ever so gently tilting their faces towards each other, their lips, their mouths...

"Hey, is this you, buddy?" The taxi driver spoke suddenly, a harsh reminder of where and who they were. He felt Mia draw back slightly even as he did, turning to look out of the car. Indeed, it was his apartment building. He hadn't even noticed the car slowing to a stop.

"Yeah, this is me," he said quietly. He turned back to Mia, moving to kiss her before pausing as he realized that this wasn't something that they should do. When she closed her eyes, he knew that she had reached the same conclusion that he had. Resignedly, they disentangled themselves and Diego opened the car door, sliding to the exit.

Taking a breath, he got out of the car and turned to look back at Mia, who was now sitting demurely with her hands in her lap.

"Goodnight, Ms Fey," he said softly.

"Goodnight, Mr Armando," she replied, just as softly.

He couldn't stand to look at those lovely eyes and that kissable mouth any longer so he closed the door. Digging for his wallet, he handed the taxi driver a stack of bills.

"Hey, this is—" the driver blinked.

"It's to take her home as well. Make sure she's safe."

Diego turned towards his apartment as the car pulled out. Before he went through the entrance, he took a moment to watch the car carry Mia away from him, turning the corner to melt towards the relentless movement of the city.

* * *

On Monday, Diego was awake with the sun, arriving at the office even earlier than usual. Mia's look of surprise as they ran into each other in front of the building mirrored his own. Apparently they had both hoped to be the first in the office.

"Good morning," they both said at the same time before breaking off awkwardly. They walked into the building together, heading towards the elevator.

"You got home safely on Friday, then?" Diego asked, politely scrambling for conversation. _Idiot, of course she did, she's here now, isn't she?_

"Yes, thank you." The elevator arrived and Diego let her enter first. "You didn't have to pay."

"But I did." He hit the button for their floor perhaps a little too hard. When the doors slid shut and the elevator started to move, they gave each other a look before resolutely focusing on the counting floor numbers instead.

That night, he had wandered up to his apartment, drunk from the alcohol and drunk from Mia's touch and near-kiss. Eventually, he had flopped onto his bed in an attempt to sleep. His haze-filled mind wondered since when he had ever been concerned about flirting with a beautiful woman and received a sharp answer about _responsibility _and _mentorship_ and _junior colleagues_ in return, only for the beautiful thought of _she reciprocated_ to float to the surface. The cycle of happiness and doubt repeated, constantly pulling him between sleep and consciousness. Thoughts of Mia pressed against him in the taxi had proven too much but even after Diego had caved to his desire in the hopes of falling asleep after, thinking about what would happen at work were enough to keep him awake a little longer. He had passed out eventually, reluctantly cracking his eyes open at dawn, light flooding into the room thanks to the curtains he had forgotten to close.

Diego spent the rest of the weekend hungover and whirling between chiding himself for forgetting his responsibilities and being elated that she had responded in kind. His usual distractions hadn't worked and he couldn't sleep, his hours instead filled with worry about what would happen on Monday. He very nearly went to the office in order to bury himself in work for the whole of the weekend but couldn't bear being opposite her closed door, or next to the sofa where she sat, or working with the files that she had helped him with. Everything had reminded him of how close they had come and where they could have gone while cool reason told him what his next course of action should be. It was almost a relief to open his eyes on Monday and find that there was nothing to do except get up and face the music.

The elevator pinged for their floor and they headed towards the office. When Diego held the door open for Mia, their eyes met briefly again but their walk through the corridors continued in silence. It was only when they reached their offices that they spoke to each other again.

"Ms Fey—" Diego began at the same time Mia turned and said, "Mr Armando—" They closed their mouths and gestured for the other to continue.

At Diego's insistence, Mia spoke first, hesitatingly, and unsure of whether to look at him or at the floor. After their easy companionship, it was decidedly painful. "Sir, I... Was going to ask if you needed my help with anything this morning."

Diego took a breath, knowing what he had to do. He wanted her to sit on the sofa near him, to smile, to share her thoughts and more, but that wouldn't be wise. Certainly not now, certainly not after Langdale's. "I was just thinking that maybe I should... release you to someone else today." He smiled wryly. "You... shouldn't be spending all your time here with me."

"Oh." Mia almost winced before nodding her understanding, relief and disappointment playing tag on her face. "I... suppose that's best. If you think so…"

"I'll make the arrangements. For now... if you just... carry on with—"

"Yes, Sir."

They both turned to enter their offices before pausing, and turning back to each other.

"Ms Fey—" he began, even as she said, "Sir—"

They fell silent once more. Diego wanted to reach for her, pull her to him and hear her say at the very least that she didn't regret that night at Langdale's either... but being unable to find the words he simply sighed.

An emotion flickered across her face, tiny steps that danced around her eyes. She reached one hand towards him but drew it back to let it drop at her side. "I'll... be here if you need me."

"Yeah. Thanks."

With that, they both entered their offices, the doors half-open but somewhat forbidding all the same.

* * *

It was no use – everyone was occupied, either up to their eyeballs in homicides or involved in sensitive, intricate cases that were unsuitable for rookies. At least Hammond had shrugged apologetically as he had swept past Diego, rushing towards the courthouse.

When Diego had told Mia the news, she had simply nodded and said she would continue to work independently. However, that fell apart when only a short while later she knocked on his door because of a question she couldn't resolve since she didn't know the history behind something. Similarly, Diego found he had to knock for her so that she could decipher a note she had made on the Kerr case paperwork.

"It's not working," Mia said, biting her lip as she stood in the doorway with yet another question.

"No, I suppose it isn't," he agreed with a sigh, gesturing towards the sofa.

It wasn't long before Mia sitting on the sofa also proved insufficient, and she moved to sit opposite Diego at his desk, the papers of their various assignments spread between them. _So much for cooling things off_, Diego thought humorlessly.

They worked in relative silence until the phone rang. "I was just calling to see how my stuff is coming along," Toperman said before he broke off to shout an order at one of his staff. "Do you have anything for me?"

"It's nearly there," Diego answered, meeting Mia's eyes as she looked up from what she was doing. "Ms Fey has reviewed the material, and—"

"Excellent! Are you two free this afternoon? After lunch?"

"This afternoon? Frederick—"

"Marvellous, I'll drop by at around 2pm—Cynthia, sweetie, where's that brochure?—Well, be seeing you, Diego. Ciao!" _Click_.

Diego stared in disbelief at the receiver before dropping it back in its cradle perhaps a little too sharply. "He's coming at 2," he said in response to Mia's enquiring look. "Will you be ready to present? It makes sense that it's you, considering the hours you've put in."

She nodded. "Yes, I can do it. Will... You be there, Sir?"

"Do you want me there?"

When she nodded again, he smiled. "Then of course, I will be."

She smiled back that time, a genuine smile rather than one tempered by hesitation. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

Without thinking, he reached for her hand and she reciprocated by weaving her fingers in between his. The memory of the same situation in the taxi returned, and they looked at other. Her expression was reflecting his thoughts. _We shouldn't._

"Sorry," Diego said, releasing her hand but finding that Mia's fingers still clung to his own.

"No, I..." Mia's cheeks flushed, letting go. "I was the one who..."

Another loaded silence descended.

"Let's just... Keep working," Diego said finally.

"Yes, let's," she agreed.

* * *

Diego greeted Toperman in the lobby with a firm handshake.

"Thanks for fitting me in today," Toperman grinned, brilliant white teeth flashing along with the medallion around his neck. "It's been at least a week since I saw you last... Now where's that lovely colleague of yours?"

"Ms Fey is in the conference room," Diego answered.

"Ready and waiting, is she?" Toperman clapped his hands together. "Well then, take me to her!"

Diego had no choice but to oblige.

Mia was waiting expectantly in the conference room, standing with stacks of paper at the head of the large wooden table which dominated the space. "Good afternoon, Mr Toperman," she said politely, extending a hand as he approached.

He took her by surprise, sweeping forward to grasp her hand and lean in to kiss her on both cheeks with a flamboyant gesture. "My, my, Ms Fey! You look even lovelier than the last time I saw you."

Mia flicked a glance towards Diego before discreetly stepping away. "It's good to see you again, Mr Toperman." She motioned towards one of the sleek leather chairs around the table. "Shall we start, then?"

"Well, if you tell me to do something, Ms Fey, I'd better do it." He sat down with merry laughter.

Diego smiled faintly and gestured for Mia to begin.

* * *

Diego shuffled awkwardly in his chair. Toperman was alternating between leaning forward to reach for papers that Mia handed to him, not-so-subtly letting his eyes drift to her cleavage, or languidly leaning back in his chair with a pleased smile, as if Mia was putting on a show for his sole benefit and he was determined to squeeze it for every bit of gratifying pleasure it would provide him with. Mia, as polite and professional as ever, didn't let any of this bother her but kept on talking through the paperwork with unending patience.

* * *

Toperman shifted so that he was leaning his head on his hand, propping his elbow up on the table, his raptured gaze exploring every inch of Mia's skin. When she paused to turn a page, he spoke.

"Tell me why you decided to work in the law, Ms Fey." He brushed the paper she handed him to one side, focusing all of his attention on her. "A beauty like you should be kept in the lap of luxury, and do nothing all day except indulge and be indulged."

"It sounds like a dull existence to me," she said, her poker face in perfect position as she moved the papers back under Toperman's nose.

Toperman sighed longingly. "If you were mine, you wouldn't have to deal with this. I would take you away from here, keep you in my bedroom, wrap you in furs, sprinkle you with diamonds and—"

Diego couldn't take it anymore when he saw Mia's jaw tighten with the smallest of movements. "Frederick," he said suddenly, interrupting Toperman's embarrassing flow of lecherous thoughts. "If we could return to the matter at hand? You asked us to look at this and Ms Fey has dedicated a lot of time and energy to your work."

"Of course." Toperman's expression was suitably remorseful, although his eyes spoke more of amusement at Diego's interruption than anything else. "Do continue, Ms Fey. I love that you've worked so hard just for me. You'll have to let me work just as hard for you, one day."

Mia pointedly ignored his last comment. "I give the same attention to all of my clients, Mr Toperman." She gave Diego a quick look before she continued.

* * *

"That woman is really something, isn't she?" Toperman sighed as they left the conference room. "You were right, she has done good work. I feel much happier, now."

_Were you even paying attention? I hope so after all the hours she worked on your stupid contracts._ "Well, that was our aim." Diego had been stony-faced while watching Toperman kiss Mia on the hand before leaving the room, not that Toperman had noticed. The man had little thought for anyone else.

"You know," Toperman continued, "I'm glad you don't have a dress code at this firm. Places I've been to in the past have been way too uptight about what they want their staff to wear. Ms Fey in that dress... God, I don't think I've ever seen a more perfect rack, have you?"

Diego gritted his teeth and said nothing.

"Did you see her leaning across the desk like that? Any man working with her must have a hard time of it, know what I mean?" Toperman barked with laughter, catching a lawyer in the corridor by surprise as they walked past. "I don't know how you do it, Diego. My hands would be running wild, believe me."

"How's your wife?" Diego asked.

"Oh, she's fine." Toperman waved a hand dismissively as they reached the lobby, pausing to say his goodbyes. "Not as perky as Ms Fey is, certainly not." He turned to give Diego a smile. "That sweet little ass needs some tapping, am I right? She's a quiet one, but get her alone and she would definitely—"

Diego threw a fist before he even knew what he was doing, his knuckles connecting with Toperman's jaw with a satisfying crack, knocking the smarmy grin from his mouth, transforming it into an 'o' of surprise. Toperman stumbled with the force of the blow, hitting the floor clumsily with a crash.

The sounds of casual chatter in the lobby died, a shocked silence sweeping through. As Diego looked down at Toperman, his fist still clenched, he was vaguely aware of everyone gaping at the scene, all of them still, not daring to move to either restrain Diego or help Toperman stand.

"Heh." Toperman struggled up to a sitting position, rubbing his jaw. His usually immaculate hair was disheveled and a red mark was blossoming on his face but even as he looked up to meet Diego's eyes he found something to amuse him. "No need to rush to my aid, everyone," he called out, smiling as he climbed to his feet and brushed his clothing down. He opened and closed his mouth experimentally. "My my, that's one right hook you have Diego. Hey, if you had already staked a claim on Ms Fey, all you had to do was say. 'Course I'm envious but you've got my blessing." He extended a hand to shake. "Don't worry, Diego, it's not the first time I've been hit by a jealous boyfriend." When Diego didn't take his hand but stood there looking grim, he let it drop and laughed to himself. "Well, be seeing you then. And good luck with it." Shaking out his golden hair, he waved genially to the rest of the room before leaving, running a hand over his developing injury.

Once he was gone, Diego looked around the lobby at the people who had witnessed the incident, finding he didn't know what to do. He was half grateful when Hammond, who had been standing near the reception desk having just returned from court, appeared to grab him firmly by the shoulder.

To the room he said out loud, "Back to it, everyone." As business resumed, he tugged Diego along. "Pull it together," he said sharply, leading him towards the offices.

* * *

Diego sat in Hammond's office, alone, with large stacks of plain document folders standing sentry on the desk in front of him. Next to them was a fancy fountain pen, heavy and black with golden accents, the only thing which could count as decoration in an otherwise plain and unadorned office space. Diego stewed in silence, the dull ache in his hand beating the count of time passing.

Perhaps Mia would wonder where he was. She would be back in her office by now. Maybe in his office, sitting, waiting expectantly for him.

He was smiling wryly to himself when Grossberg entered the office, Hammond behind him, who frowned upon seeing Diego's expression.

Grossberg shuffled into Hammond's seat with some difficulty, pulling it up under his rear with one or two huffs of annoyance. He placed his elbows firmly on the desk, resting his chin on his hands, looking closely at Diego. The sleeves of his shirt and blazer rode up his wide wrists to reveal winking golden cufflinks and an expensive watch, a sudden reminder of the kind of business he ran. People with too much money and too little sense, like Toperman, were the ones that provided those gaudy accessories, a thought that Diego found hateful at that moment.

When Grossberg finally spoke, it was in even tones. "You will call Mr Toperman first thing tomorrow morning and appear most contrite regarding your actions. Are we clear?"

Diego nodded.

"I said, are we clear?"

A memory of being a teenager in the Principal's office surfaced. _You are to attend Gym class, not hang around with Miss Fryer in the parking lot, are we clear?_ "Yes, Sir."

"Good." Grossberg shook his head as he considered the publicity nightmare Diego's thoughtless action had created. "I will be contacting the man myself this afternoon to extend our most sincere apologies. Hopefully he sees you as enough of a friend to forego anything more formal."

"He's not my friend," Diego said somewhat petulantly. "Sir," he added as an afterthought.

"Are you kidding me?" Hammond interrupted. "Dammit Diego, it doesn't matter whether he's your friend or not, he's a _client_. You hit a _client_. Grossberg's saying your ass is lucky."

"I know what he was saying."

"I'm not sure you do."

When Grossberg raised a hand, they both snapped their mouths shut. "Diego," he began, and the absence of the phrase 'my boy' was somewhat stinging, "whether or not you consider Frederick Toperman a friend, he has at the very least a certain regard for you. He doesn't do repeat business with just anyone, nor does he casually extend invitations to his home, or grace everyone with personal visits."

Diego clenched his jaw, not relishing the reminder.

"We will wait to see what action Toperman wishes to take, if any." Grossberg sniffed briefly as he readied himself to change subject. "There is one other thing we need to discuss."

Diego looked up at Grossberg and instantly knew what was coming. "Sir, I—"

Grossberg lifted a hand, forcing Diego to stay quiet. "Robert heard what Toperman said, but even without the dramatics in the lobby, your regard for Ms Fey and her regard for you is becoming evident to everyone at this firm." He sighed for a moment. "Consider the short time you've been together, and the intimacy that your mentorship has no doubt fostered between the two of you before you decide to pursue any kind of relationship."

There was nothing Diego could say.

"Diego..." When Diego looked up, he saw that Grossberg's expression had softened. "My boy, there is no official policy against fraternization at this firm. Also, I cannot, and should not speak for Ms Fey. But whatever course of action the two of you take, consider that while we do not interfere with your personal life, the moment your personal life interferes with your work is the moment where we will need to speak again." He sighed. "Go home, Diego," Grossberg suddenly looked very tired. "Robert will see you to your office, and take care of Ms Fey for the rest of the day."

* * *

In the corridor, they went a few paces before Hammond grabbed Diego by the arm. "Diego, Grossberg may be a little soft, but I'm not. If you're going to try and sleep with Ms Fey—"

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Robert—"

Hammond fixed Diego with a stern look. "Can you blame me for thinking so? You're a cad, Diego, always have been since I met you. Always chasing some kind of tail. Pardon me if I'm not convinced if you insist that Ms Fey is special or different—" As Diego turned away in disgust, Hammond grabbed his arm again, forcing him to turn around. "Diego, for you to take advantage of her feelings is—"

"Shut up."

"She's young, and she's been working so closely with you." Hammond continued, unfazed. "She looks up to and respects you. It's not hard to create a schoolgirl crush from those kinds of emotions."

"She's not a schoolgirl," Diego hissed, wrenching his arm away from Hammond.

"She might not be, but at the very least remember she's still a rookie and a colleague. Dammit Diego, people saw you at Langdale's - Keene was there for birthday drinks and he asked me who your date was." When Diego said nothing, Hammond gripped his arm tighter. "I can't tell you who and who not to pursue, god knows you're headstrong enough that you'll just go for what you want anyway, but I swear I will be there to hit you and say 'I told you so' if it goes wrong." With that, he released Diego and gestured for him to continue walking. It was like being escorted by a bailiff, winding through the corridors with Hammond close behind him, disapproval radiating from him in waves. They passed people who eyed them like spectators in a courtroom, throwing him wary looks, the news having already spread.

Mia looked up from where she had been sitting at his desk with a sunny smile, which faded when she saw Diego's serious expression and Hammond standing behind him. "Sir?" Her eyes flickered between the two men, questioning as she stood up.

"I'm going home, Ms Fey." Diego swept past her to gather his things, careful not to look at her for too long, especially not under Hammond's watchful eye.

"But it's still early."

"It's not by choice."

"I don't understand." Her brow was crinkled with concern. "Sir, what happened?"

_She'll find out soon enough._ Diego smiled at her, thinking of Toperman's surprised face. _When she does... What will she do?_

"I'll be looking after you for the rest of the afternoon, Ms Fey," Hammond said formally. "Wait here, I'll be with you shortly after I've seen Mr Armando from the premises."

Still looking confused, Mia nodded nonetheless and stayed where she was while Hammond led Diego from the room, shuffling him along so that he couldn't even throw her one last look before he left.

* * *

When Diego arrived at the firm the next morning, he swept straight through reception, heading towards his office and ignoring everyone else. He was a little later than usual on Hammond's recommendation, and it felt strange to be entering the office after everyone had already. When he entered his office, it wasn't long before Mia appeared, almost as if she had been waiting to hear his footfall in the corridor.

"Ms Fey," he said by way of greeting. "I would have thought that you..."

"I have to meet with Brookes in an hour," she said softly. "Desk work today, mostly."

"No courtroom visits?"

"No."

"That's a pity."

"Yeah, it is." She stepped into the room turning to push the door, not closing it completely but enough so that passersby wouldn't be able to see inside the office. She turned slowly to look at Diego. "It's good to see you."

Diego tried to give her a confident smile. "Well, you can't keep me away from work for long." From the expression that crossed her face, Diego knew that she had found out the reason behind his brief, enforced absence. "Don't look at me like that, Ms Fey."

"Why did you do it?" She was stepping towards him carefully.

"He was being a jerk."

"He was being a jerk before."

"True, but this time..." Diego sighed and sat on his desk. "I'm sure you've heard what he said by now."

"Yes." She smiled slightly. "Mr Hammond wouldn't tell me, but I'm a keen listener and it was all anyone could talk about around the office." She was only a few feet away now, and advancing more with every heartbeat. "I suppose I should thank you.

"For being your hero?" Diego was perfectly still, perfectly aware of the gap that was closing between them.

"For saving me the trouble of doing it myself."

He laughed at that. "I wouldn't have wanted you to injure your pretty hand."

"Diego..." Her hand trailed down to his and she looked down, inspecting his knuckles, tracing them carefully with a thumb.

He could feel the tension in her gesture, and the realization they were on the verge of saying something important. "I'm sorry, Mia," he said softly.

"Don't be sorry. I'm the one who's sorry."

If she was going to continue looking at him like that, then he was probably going to kiss her and to hell with the consequences. "You have no reason to be sorry; I should be the responsible one."

"Why?"

"Because you're the rookie."

She sighed. "Everyone says that. But..." She looked up at him significantly. "I'm not a rookie," she said quietly. "I'm... a kitten. With claws."

"Kitten," Diego echoed, raising one hand to brush the side of her face, her cheek blossoming with a faint blush under his touch.

When a sharp knock came from the door, the moment broke so suddenly Diego could almost feel it shatter. He released Mia with a start as she sprang away from him and they both turned towards the sound. They looked at each other; when Mia nodded Diego called out, "yes?"

The door swung open fully to reveal Ruby, her face flushed. "I'm s-sorry to disturb you, Sir, Ms Fey." She looked between the two of them and the floor, then back to them. "B-but I wouldn't have... unless it was... important..."

Diego and Mia exchanged a look. "What is it, Ruby?" Diego asked finally. It wasn't her fault; she was just doing her job.

"We received a call from M-Mr Toperman." When Diego looked closer, he saw that her mouth was trembling as she struggled to get the words out, and he realized that she wasn't shaking because she had interrupted them; she was distressed over something else.

"Mr Toperman?" Mia asked quietly, sensing something wrong even as Diego did.

"I-It's his wife. Sh-She's..." Ruby inhaled deeply to steady herself, but it didn't work. "She's dead."

Mia covered her mouth in horror.

"A-And," Ruby continued, "M-Mr Toperman has been arrested... for her murder."

Diego and Mia both flew to Ruby's side, to catch her as she fainted.


End file.
